The Open Door
by Wynth
Summary: My death was meant to be the night the Akatsuki stormed my house, but my mum's foolish attempt at escaping left them with me. Now, they'll let me live as long as I help them get back home, but it's hard when you hate them. Though, God loves irony. HIATUS
1. The Nightmare

_I have no pairings planned for this story, but often the story changes as it goes. Therefore, it's possible that some chemistry may develop, and if it works, there might be a pairing. In short, I'm not aiming for one, but it does depend.  
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_I've no practice in writing OC's either, so **please** give me feedback on them! I'd love it. Anything; even harsh criticism. I want to learn. I'd like some examples if I stuff her up someplace or if she's particularly interesting in a scene something. Please don't just slap a 'Mary Sue' label on them instantly without telling me how to improve. _

_There are some things I'm hazy about, such as the normal reactions of losing someone dear. I've never gone through the experience, so I might have done her reactions wrong or something._

_Warnings from here on out? Swearing and occasional sexual reference.  
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_Please review and give concrit!  
_

_**Disclaimer:**__ I do not own Naruto.

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THE OPEN DOOR**  
—CHAPTER ONE—**  
_The Nightmare

* * *

_

_Smash!_

I groaned and rolled over in my bed, squeezing my eyes even tighter together. I could hear the sounds of treading footsteps pass my door and the familiar creak of the floorboards as it was stepped on it. That was Dad, probably, going to check whatever was down there, and also most likely getting a drink of water for Mum while he was at it.

Exhaling, I buried my nose into my white, lacy pillow, digging my fingers into its smushiness. My brown hair dangled over my cheeks, tickling me, so I shook my head a little to dislodge it. Slowly I began to feel myself fade back into that nice cosy sleep that I had before, but a sudden yell from downstairs made me pull out of it, green eyes blinking rapidly.

I heard some more noise and felt my heart lurch to my throat when I heard Dad yelling again. He never yelled. I grabbed at my doona and tossed it off my body, keeping my eyes trained on my door that was littered with stickers that I had collected since I was five. My body tingled with growing fear when I heard a loud clatter of something metal hitting the tiles in the kitchen.

I screamed when my door was slammed open. Mum was there, her sweaty face glistening, her hand on the golden doorknob and her other resting on her bulging stomach—she had been pregnant for six months. The pounding of my heart started to ring in my ears when I saw her horror stricken face, her green eyes wide with fear as she parted her pale lips to speak to me.

"Under the bed, Faye," she ordered. Her straw-blonde hair fell across her face as she drew quick breaths. I stayed in my bed, unable to move, unable to understand. "Now! And be silent!"

A soft whimper escaped my throat as I dropped to the blue carpeted floor (I ignored the sting of my new carpet burn) and tried to scramble under my bed. It was a tight fit, and I had to shove out some old shoe boxes to squeeze in—I wasn't ten anymore.

I watched in trepidation as I saw Mum's feet disappear from the door way (she closed the door behind her) and listened to her footsteps as they disappeared downstairs. It was beginning to get difficult to breathe and there was hardly any room for my chest to expand to circulate the air. Every exhalation a dust bunny would scatter away from my nostrils, and my fingernails would curl deeper and harder into the carpet til I could feel the wooden boards beneath.

My chest ached as I yearned to breathe and cry and talk like I usually did when I was scared but she told me to stay silent, and after seeing her expression, there was no way I could deny her. My entire body shook like a falling leaf, or like I was lying in the snow during winter. It seemed so loud, so I tried to force myself to stop shaking. It only made it worse.

The sound of my Mum screaming made me lurch forward and hit my head hard against the bottom of my bed. I whimpered again, grasping my forehead as I tried to suppress the chills in my body.

"Mum?" I whispered to myself.

Gasping for a proper breath, I clawed at the carpet and tried to pull myself out from underneath. I didn't like it under there, especially if my parents were in trouble. I wanted so desperately to just start laughing or talking to release my fear but I was petrified, and didn't want to do either—even move. The remembrance of Mum's expression also just dulled that want.

My limbs were shaking as I used what little strength I had until at last my head was exposed. A shuddering inhalation filled my lungs with fresh air and I pulled myself out more, ignoring the ache in my chest and the burn on my knees. There I sat, leaning against my bed, tears streaming down my face as I shot frantic looks at the door.

Should I?

I shook my head, shuffling closer to my bedside table as I let more tears fall. No. Mum said to stay but—

I reached out a hand on the carpet towards the door, feeling the overwhelming urge to just... check. She may need my help. They both might. And I loved them. W-What if they were hurt? They—they—

Springing to my feet, I shot towards the door, slamming a hand on the golden knob and turning it slightly. The fear burned in my heart all of a sudden and I paused, staring at my hand. Salty tears dripped onto my arm, catching in the hair and tickling me. Through the tears, I looked up and took in a huge breath before opening the door quietly.

I walked on my tippy-toes as I stole my way down the hall, an arm out to balance myself against the lavender-painted walls. It was chilly, and I cursed my stupidity of wearing shorts and an old, white short-sleeved shirt during late winter.

I stopped when I heard voices, none of which I recognised. There was a jumble of syllables and noises that I couldn't recognise (there were multiple people all whispering at the same time), but amidst the senseless babble I heard my Mum's voice.

"Please! Don't! Oh God, please don't..." her voice dropped into muddled pleads, sobs and whimpers mixed in. My throat felt as though there was a lump in it, and I stared wide eyed—without seeing—at the framed picture of my family (sans older sister) on the living room wall opposite me. I could feel my heart pounding so hard that it _hurt!_

"What the hell? This woman has screamed her fucking lungs out and nobody has come?" I heard one of them say. It surprised me, and my breath hitched. Normally I talk when I'm scared. But I was beyond scared by this point.

I took another step, praying to hear Dad's voice. Unfortunately, I was praying so hard that I was too late to stop myself from stepping on the creaky step.

The voices in the kitchen went silent, someone '_shh'ing_' at the others. I swallowed largely, shivering. Attempting to press myself against the wall was almost impossible without creating another noise, and they had already heard me.

Mum begged again and a loud slap resonated through the kitchen and living room. I jumped, creating another creak to which they fell silent once more. Tears continued to leak from my eyes so that my vision was blurred. I heard some footsteps, the heels thudding against the kitchen tile until a black figure came from around the kitchen corner.

I was frozen.

Whoever it was, they were looking straight at me.

I exhaled shakily, trying to swallow but unable to feel anything slide down my throat. The figure, man-shaped, stepped out and took two steps toward me, his tread echoing in my ears. I couldn't see him; he was bathed in shadows.

"There's another," he said. I could feel amusement in his voice and it made my skin crawl.

"Faye," I heard Mum whisper, but I couldn't say a word. I made a noise instead; a squeaky whimper that made the man in front of me chuckle.

"Bring them," another voice ordered from the kitchen. It was deep, startling, easily heard, and it made my breath hitch in my throat.

I shook my head, taking a step back but ending up only bumping my heel against the upper step. At the same time he stepped forward, a hand out to grip my arm. "No!" I shouted, whacking at him but it was scarily futile.

He caught me with such a tight grip that I let a small 'ow' leave my lips. He pulled me from the second-to-top step to the bottom and at once I felt something startling warm against the ball of my foot as I stepped down on the living room carpet. It was like I stepped in melted ice cream; sticky, thickish. The substance absorbed into my socks and I gasped, yanking away from the intruder but he was firm.

He tugged on me again, so hard it felt as though my shoulder would be pulled from its socket. I fell to my knees, my hand splayed on the floor and burying in the same liquid that my foot was covered in. A silent breath was stolen from me as I saw the light from the moon mirrored against the substance, reflecting the red pigment to my eyes.

I lost motion then and only vaguely realised I was being dragged across the floor.

It was blood.

Whose was it?

I felt the kitchen tiles against my knees, which were so startlingly cold that I sucked in a sharp breath and started thrashing, pulling my arms once more. "No! Stop!" He hit me and stars clouded my vision as I tilted to the side. Mum screamed; this I heard, as well as my Dad's beautiful voice that was yelling at the intruders to not hurt me.

By the time I could focus on the white tiles in front of me, I was kneeling before several pairs of feet—they were all wearing the same shoes and were all adorning nail polish. I didn't ponder it as I was too frightened—shaking like a leaf—to even lift my head.

And then he spoke; the same person who called me in before, the one that made my skin crawl with his deep, gravelly voice.

"You lied."

I shuddered, sniffling as I titled my head towards Mum beside me, whose green eyes were gazing at me worriedly before switching to her husband. I peered passed her and felt myself go cold when I saw the blood staining his light blue dressing gown. His large, tanned hand was gripping his shoulder, his lips set into a grim line as he tried to ignore the pain.

His confidence in the situation was staggering. He was able to look up and stare the intruder's in the face while I could hardly even talk. I mean, nothing like this had ever happened before. I'd always see it on television, how a family's house was broken to and the resistance put up caused death. Mum and I would always shake our heads, never believing that the same thing would be happening to us!

What's more, I grew up protected. I liked rainbows and dresses and socks. I watched Disney and drama movies, or sometimes the action or fantasy ones that piqued my interest. Yet now that life seemed to be sucked into a black hole. I felt an ominous sensation scatter throughout my body that told me that this would not end well. And how could it? Dad was bleeding, Mum freaking out, myself completely mute when I should be senselessly babbling.

"I'm sorry," Dad said.

I jolted, not expecting it. Swallowing, I decided it was time to meet their eyes and so slowly I lifted my head. I quickly counted four figures in front of me, and by peeking over my shoulder I could see another five—one was leaning against the arch of the doorway between the kitchen and the living room. They were all confident, acting like they owned our house.

Still, even as I peered into the darkness, I could not capture any distinguishing colours or features. I saw outlines of shaggy or smoothed back hair but other than that, nothing. They were a mystery, and that only made it worse.

"Please," Mum whispered. She gasped as she was lightly kneed from behind, warning her to keep her mouth shut. She sobbed as quietly as she could.

"You know your punishment," the voice said again.

"God, no!" Mum cried but it went ignored.

I had no idea what was happening until I felt warm blood splatter across my face and my Dad's body topple to the side. I think Mum had screamed, but I was unable to comprehend what had happened. I felt the liquid slightly slide to the corner of my mouth, where I could just get a taste of it. That woke me up.

"Dad?" I croaked weakly, eyes wide. My heart was so loud, and I felt so many emotions surging through my veins that it was almost impossible for me to control.

It couldn't be. They—they hadn't just killed him right? Tears fell from my eyes and I gritted my teeth as I called his name again, hoping, waiting for him to move—but he didn't.

Something came over me. I felt a sudden burst of confidence. I matched the leader's eyes despite not being able to see him. I snarled and rose to my feet, hardly taking a step to swipe out him before I was suddenly held back by two strong arms around my waist.

"You fucking prick!" I screamed, kicking and flailing. I tried to breathe. "Why the hell did you do that? He was my Dad!" My voice cracked and I feebly whacked at one of the arms encircling me. "He was my Dad." I broke down, hardly even hearing Mum cry with me.

"He broke the rules," the leader said. "He was given a simple question and simple rules, and he broke one of them."

I gripped the bicep of the murderer holding me—if he was the one who dealt the blow or not, I did not care—so tightly that I felt satisfaction at the feeling of my nails sinking into his skin. He had hardly flinched.

A question. I was trying to ask the question but the words would not form in the right order. All I could think of was how his body seemed to fall in slow motion, and how his blood slid down my face and stained my clothes.

"I asked him," he said, "if there was anybody else in the house. He said 'no'. There was you."

My body shuddered and I turned my head into the chest of the one holding me but I was sickened. Growling I pushed him away as roughly as I could but was unfortunately disappointed when he hardly moved back two steps.

It was unbearable. I wanted to scream at them; lash at them; curse at them; _kill _them but all I could do was stand and cry. I wanted to do so many things at once that I felt my limbs jerking to do them, but at the same time I was too scared of the consequences. Dad learned the hard way—_I_ learned the hard way.

I should have stayed in my room; though I knew they would have found me anyway.

"W-What do you want?" Mum finally choked out. Good. I could hardly breathe as it was.

"Where are we?"

My brain automatically thought of several things I could say back to them but they couldn't formulate properly. Besides, they'd probably kill me too.

Mum had opened her mouth but then closed it, a slight frown marring her sweaty face. "A-Australia?"

"You say it like it was a question," he responded promptly. "Where is this 'Australia'?"

I looked to Mum at the same time she glanced at me; her lips and hair was quivering in fright, which was about all I could see in the darkness. She didn't know how to answer that question. How couldn't he know about one of the continents on Earth? It just... didn't make sense.

"Earth," she said quietly nonetheless.

The intruders muttered to each other and I could practically feel their glares like a heavy weight as they looked at us. They didn't trust us, they didn't believe us. They thought we were lying.

"Enough." They went silent at the sound of his voice. I shivered again, this time because I could hear the irritation in his voice. "And 'Earth'?"

"A planet?" Mum stated questioningly again.

"Hm."

I saw the leader move, raising what looked like a hand as he prepared to back-hand my Mum. "No!" I shouted; he paused, tilting his head towards me this time. Through tears, I bit out, "she's telling the truth."

"Explain."

This was stupid. This was tiresome. This was horrible. I couldn't even look in Dad's direction anymore without feeling a giant hole open up in my chest. Again, as this thought crossed my mind, I tried to hold back the tears as I attempted to do what they wanted. Maybe they'd leave then. This was my only thread of hope to hold onto. I just had to answer honestly, clearly, confidently...

"What? Don't look up at the stars?"

...and not sarcastically.

A whack over my head taught my lesson and I bit my lip, trying not to scream with the frustration.

"Earth is a planet! Australia is a continent on Earth!" I felt ridiculous having to explain basic geography to ten adults but if it would get them to leave..." We live in a small town called Alice Springs, in the centre of Australia. It's a smallish town, surrounded by outback. Our weather is hot and humid, with the rare rainfall. We live at least eighteen hour's drive from the nearest capital city and—"

"That's enough."

"Well, what else did you want to know?" I sobbed out, bending over and pressing my forehead against the cold tiles. My hands slid against the floor and I could feel the sticky texture of Dad's blood rub against my skin.

I just spoke. I just tried to answer their question, tried to give them anything they could possibly want to know about our location to hopefully ring a bell in their morbid brains so they could leave.

"How big is this house?"

"It's—It's..." I don't know maths very well. My expertise was in science and botany, not mathematical measurements. The only math I knew was the equations used in chemistry and physics. Clearly I couldn't say 'it's a normal size for a modern house' because they were obviously too stupid to even know what I was talking about. "I don't know."

Someone behind my scoffed. "It's your home isn't it?"

I whirled around, anger flashing and burning in my eyes and chest as I bared my teeth and clenched my fist. "You want to know how big it is? It's as big as your fucking brain!"

I was suddenly sliding across the kitchen floor until I hit the kitchen table, my spine curling around it as far as it could go at the momentum given. It hurt, but what hurt more was my stomach, where the blow was dealt. I coughed loudly into a hand, propping myself onto an arm as I tried to remember how to breathe—I could hear Mum crying my name.

"Shut your face, bitch!" my offender yelled.

The taste of blood in my mouth was a reminder. I should keep my mouth shut. I should let my Mum do the talking if she could. I couldn't help it though. When I was angry, or offended, or scared, I had to talk (in whatever form) to release the emotion even the slightest bit. That's why I hated rollercoaster's; why I hated the ocean; why I hated talking to Auntie and Uncle; why I hated seeing the bitchiest girl in school.

"Hidan," the leader called.

My blood froze, I swear. That name. Oh God, that _name_.

My friends thought I was an utter geek to enjoy watching certain anime, and while I didn't absolutely love the series called Naruto, I still knew what happened, who everyone was and had a basic idea of what each could do, as well as how (the chakra systems and stuff). I didn't care nor bother to understand the hand signs they used and what each attack was. All I saw was a string of signs and _poof!_—this thing happened. And because of that, I didn't exactly have a favourite character.

But that didn't mean I didn't like some of them.

The Akatsuki.

Firstly, I knew it was scientifically improbable of fictional characters joining reality. There was no background or base equation for it, so there had to be some other meaning. Cosplayers, sure, that could have been a solution, but I doubted any avid fan of the show would actually murder my Dad!

I was blank. I refused to believe. I refused to even acknowledge my dislike for a few members of the Akatsuki for whatever reason because I knew it couldn't be them. It was just a man named Hidan.

I tried to ignore the small voice in the back of my mind that asked me how many people would be called Hidan in the centre of Australia.

"So what are we doing, Leader?" one of them asked. My mind was too fuzzy to get from where.

"Tie them up. Explore the house. Mark it as our base of operations."

Someone chuckled but it was mixed with the sounds of multiple footsteps. I moved, but only a little, as one of them had gripped my wrists tightly and bent them behind my back. I winced, trying to peer into the darkness of the kitchen. Mum was being tied up as well by one of them. My shoulders twinged when I felt what had to be rope wrap around my wrists several times and then severely tighten, pinching my skin.

I gasped, slamming my forehead on the tile then after. Normally I wasn't so stubborn. Normally I caved easily but the past few minutes seemed to be changing me bit by bit.

All of a sudden I felt the back of my collar pull, and the front of my shirt tightened around my chest as I was tugged and then dragged across the floor. My knuckles grazed across the tiles, burning, but when I hit the carpet, it hurt even more.

"Put them in here," someone had suggested, and my capturer walked past the stairs to one of the other downstairs rooms. It had to be the first one, as he turned quickly to the right. I knew where we were. Dads study. His desk and bookshelves were there. On his desk would be his computer, and there'd be a window by it, with the bookshelf on the other side and a filing cabinet next to that.

He dropped me like a bag of bones into a corner, and I heard my Mum squeak as she was placed next to me.

"Don't even try to escape," one said. The door closed. The lock was on the inside, but I wasn't even going to try to disobey what he said. I could just tell that he was deadly serious.

Groaning, my face tight with dried tears, I pushed myself up against a wall with difficulty and leaned against it, propping my head on it as I sniffled and closed my eyes. It hurt. My whole body ached; my heart most of all. I couldn't imagine what Mum was thinking. And as I peeled open my wet lashes to take a peek, I heard quiet sniffles. Her head was buried in one of her arms, her back quivering as she tried to cry as softly as possible.

Swallowing thickly, I tried to crawl over to her without the aid of my hands. I found myself lying down next to her, facing her, and timidly I pressed my sweat-soaked head against hers. I heard her breath catch but she didn't seem to care as she pressed closer against me, her sobs getting louder as every second passed. If her arms were free, I didn't doubt that she would have wrapped them around my waist and reeled herself in.

It was weird. Normally I was the one being shielded. Normally I was the one crying against her chest about something trivial or frustrating. Normally I was the one who wanted the hug just because I loved her so damn much. And now everything was flipped. She was broken, and I was left trying to comfort her in a situation where I wanted someone to curl into as well.

"Faye, I'm sorry. I'm so sorry," she mumbled to me, and she slipped her head under my chin. I stared into the darkness of Dads study room until I felt fresh tears pricking at my eyes again. "I'm so sorry."

"It's okay, Mum. It's not your fault." I didn't know if that was the truth or not. Everybody always said it during a time like this. "It's mine," I added. "You told me to stay under my bed but I didn't listen. I was scared for you and Dad. I thought—I thought I could help..."

She broke again at the mention of Dad, but soon enough her whimpers had reduced significantly and her breathing evened out. She had fallen asleep. What would this do to the baby?

I looked out the window not far from us and felt despair drown me when I noted that the sun wasn't even coming up yet. It was still dark; very dark. And all I could hear was the quiet shuffling of the murderer's outside the door, speaking in hushed voices. I listened in as best as I could, hearing one or two of our doors creak as they were opened and closed.

"Turn that off, idiot!" I heard someone hiss upstairs.

I looked up. Above the study was a guest room—it was my older sister's before she moved out one and a half years ago. It was kept constantly clean for any friends or relatives when they came.

"—_YOU TAKE THE BREATH RIGHT OUT OF ME! YOU LEFT A HOLE WHERE MY HEART SHOULD BE!—"_

I jumped, yelping at the sound of the CD player being turned on the living room (my friend Callum had turned it up that loud when he and some others had come over while Dad and Mum was out. We hadn't turned it on since). The song was so loud that it burst into all six corners of the house. I could barely hear the sound of the intruders moving to the source, or the yells of them as they ordered it to be turned off.

"—_YOU GOTTA FIGHT JUST TO MA—!"_ **(1)**

There was a ringing silence after it was turned off. I prayed fervently that our neighbours had heard it and would get up to see what was going on. At the same time, however, I wished that they wouldn't because then they, too, would be pushed into all this madness.

"—fault! Tobi pres—"

"—making—ses—"

"—boy!"

"—the fuck was—"

"Shut up!"

Then it went silent completely, the notes of the song still ringing in my ears despite it. And during that, the name 'Tobi' echoed in my mind. It sounded familiar as well. My thoughts were brought back to the Akatsuki but I quickly dismissed the idea, refusing to believe it. And now that I thought about it, all the voices I heard were masculine. Not once had I heard a female voice sound.

Like it mattered.

I was tired. My eyes were stinging even more than before, so I closed them and tried to bring on sleep. It was difficult. My brain kept replaying the sensation and vague sight of when Dad was killed, and each time I would snap my eyes open and start crying again. It was horrible; it was torture. I couldn't relax. I'd keep wondering why they hadn't left yet when they had got their answers—all they asked for at least.

"I miss you, Dad," I whispered to myself, scrunching up my face to hold back the tears.

It had to have been at least forty minutes later when darkness finally consumed me.

* * *

I woke up when I felt someone nudge me. Groggy, I forced my eyes to open a sliver to see what was going on, but I instantly wanted to close them again when I saw it was still dark. Dark equalled sleeping for me—at least most of the time. I was avid about health, and sleep was a vital part of it—it was a side effect of learning about the perils that can happen to the human body.

"Faye," someone whispered into my ear. I could feel their shaky breath hit the shell of it. I moaned, moving about, moving my hands—but then feeling them catch in something really tight.

I snapped my eyes open then as all the memories of last night rushed back at once: being attacked—hearing the yells—being captured—Dad being killed—blood—blood—blood!

I whimpered, turning my head into the carpet and trying to bury into it. I wanted to cry, I really did, but no more water was building up. It was like I was a desert. Nothing came. And then I felt someone nudge me and I looked over my shoulder and saw Mum there.

The first thing I noticed was that her hands were unbound, but then I noticed the strange renewed expression in her eyes, as though she was prepared to take a stand. Her face, though, from what I could see, was pasty, and in her hand was a tiny blade. My mind whirred. Where did she get that from?

"Faye, honey, are you okay?" she asked me softly. I could see a little light from the sun shine in behind her, but I knew it would still be several hours before it was day. Great, that meant I had only been asleep for three hours, tops.

I weakly nodded, furrowing my brow at her hands. She started working on cutting the ropes that bound me, and twenty minutes later I felt fresh, cold air attack my wrists. It was strangely wonderful.

"Mum, where'd you get that?" I asked. I faulted for a second at my hoarse voice. I then ignored it, focusing my eyes on the tiny piece of metal she held in the tip of her fingers. I recognised it to be one side of a sharp pair of scissors that was in Dads desk. But how'd she get them out?

"Scissors," she said. She nodded at the window. It was locked.

It was the only window that hadn't had the mosquito netting installed on it yet, and so it was the only way my friends could get in or for me to get out if we had something really important to tell each other. We only used it if none of us wanted to wake up Dad or Mum by using the front door. I don't know why it was locked, though.

"We can get out through there," Mum explained.

I gaped, panic rising to my throat. "What?" I whispered hoarsely. "But-but they said not to escape or they'd do something. Anyway, how would you get out? You don't have the key. Dad had the key. Oh, no, Dad..." I swallowed. "Didn't he have it in his room? That's where he keeps all his keys. Oh, please, Mum, don't do this. Please—"

She pressed a finger to my dry lips and gave me a very firm look. "Sometimes I wonder which you side of the family you got that trait from." She sighed, shaking her head.

"Mum—"

"No. We will escape through that window. I refuse to sit here and wait for our number to come up. We are going to leave. Now. And you are coming with me." She spoke so seriously. The last time I had seen her like this was when Madeline (my sister) wanted to get her own apartment and Mum just couldn't bring herself to let her go. She stuck to her children like leeches, and I knew that she would go above and beyond to ensure safety, even by doing something dangerous.

It was her daring side that Dad had told me about before. The window was locked, but clearly she had a way to open it if she didn't even view it as an obstacle. This must have been a skill she had learnt before she married Dad. A skill she hadn't used in years when she started a family.

"But Mum—" I started.

She grabbed my hand roughly and pulled me over to below the window. I was frantically worrying about what the baby would be going through. She turned back to the desk and started surfing through one of the drawers until she found what she wanted and returned to me.

It was a paper clip.

She uncurled it and then got to work on lock picking the key hole.

I had never asked about her old life. I never asked how, after she had me, she was able to get into the house when it was locked and she didn't have the key. I never asked why she was so damn good at darts whenever I played with her and I ended up being thrashed. I never asked how she was able to sneak up on my sister and I when we were in the kitchen, stealing food, without us even knowing she was there until she had purposely made a noise.

I never asked, but I did wonder.

There was a satisfying click and she leaned back, a weak smile on her face as she slipped the pre-paper clip into her pocket and nudged the window out a little more. The fresh air of the night seeped in. It was hot and stuffy in the room, even though it was late winter.

"Okay, honey. Are you ready?" she asked me.

I shook my head, my lips pursed. "No. I'm not going." That guy's warning echoed in my mind. They were serious. I knew they were.

Mum glared at me and she grabbed my hand. "You are coming whether you like it or not, young lady." She was so different from before. I guess now she was running on pure instinct of survival.

"Mum." I shook my head again. "It's not safe. He-he said that we shouldn't try."

"Faye, he's a murderer!" she exclaimed in a hoarse whisper. "Don't believe him."

"If he's a murderer then he can kill again. Statistically, death comes quicker if the hostages oppose them."

"So you want to prolong your sentence, then, hmm?"

I dropped my jaw. I could imagine my sister saying that but not Mum.

"You're not thinking, properly," I got out.

"And you're not thinking at all," she snapped. "I'm trying to save my children—my baby." Her hand ran over her stomach. "These people would only give us the worst and my baby will _die_. He has a greater chance in surviving if I escape."

I didn't want her to go, but clearly our opinions were different. I understood that she wanted to save the baby, and while I wish I could have seen him born, I didn't want to leave. I had that ominous feeling in my stomach, and if Mum had the same thing, she was obviously ignoring it.

I swallowed. It was going to be so difficult to say it... "You go."

"What?" she hissed at me.

Now the tears started to fall. "You go," I repeated and then shook my head. "I don't think it will be any better out there than in here."

"Girl, they killed your Father and you want to stay here?" she stressed.

I cupped my cheek as I let out a sob (I flinched at the dry blood). I hated seeing her angry with me that it was causing a lot of conflict in my mind. I was torn.

"I'm not going. I'm not," I choked out.

I didn't want to meet her face as I knew she was furious with me. Adapting to sudden changes was not my forte. I always got annoyed with my friends if they changed the date of some party when it was meant to be two days away. I always got pissed with my sister when she promised to meet me someplace but at the last minute she'd ring up to suggest some other destination. Mum could switch her mind and plan things according to the change with ease.

I couldn't.

I was still torn up about Dad's death, whereas Mum, who I knew was still grieving, was acting as though it never happened so that she could escape without any emotional baggage. It took me ages to get over things.

"You have one minute to rethink that," she said sternly.

I shook my head, my sobs silent as I tried to inhale. My face, I knew, was screwed up so badly as I bent over and pressed my forehead into the floor. I hated people seeing me cry, even if they were family. I try to inhale, but it was shoddy. "No-o."

Mum didn't say anything as she peered out the window, her green eyes sweeping right below while I watched. She pushed the window open a little more, doing it more slowly when it creaked. Eventually it was wide open, and she released a shaky breath. Then she turned to me.

"Stay here, then," she ordered.

My heart pounded. Had my Mum really just said that?

I waited a few seconds to see if she was going to continue it with something like 'I'll go find someone else and we'll come back for you' but she didn't. She looked away, an expression of forlorn on her face as she stared out the window.

I could hardly breathe. I was now staring at her more in shock and betrayal than in fear. She loved me. I knew she did but then... why?

"I'm a survivor, Faye," she told me. "I do miss your Dad, but right now that memory is just weight on my body. I miss your sister, but I adapted. It's this habit of mine, from my past life." I tensed, wondering if I'd hear some of it. She then met my eyes. "I got over things quickly. I lose those ties to move on and live. Your sister, I no longer view as my daughter. She has grown up, moved on, living on her own. She no longer needs a Mother. So now I see her as a close friend.

"You, Faye, are reaching that point where I see you as an equal. This was my last chance to keep you as a daughter, for at least a little more, but clearly you can make up your own mind now, no matter the consequences—and even if I disagree."

The walls of my mouth were slick with saliva as I breathed through it. "And Dad?"

She sighed. "Your Dad was my equal." My heart clenched at the past term. "He's the one that is giving me the heaviest baggage because he is gone. I did love him. He protected me from what I could have been, but I guess it wasn't enough. A piece of that life still came through." Mum shook her head. "Now. Friend."

My head pounded, unbelieving to soak in her harsh words. The memories I had with her were real though. I had memories of when she was acting like she was a Mum, where she didn't act as though she was reliving her past life. It was true. All of it. She had been my Mum, and still would be, no matter how much she denied it.

"It's time for me to go."

"No, Mum." I reached out for her, tears streaming down my face.

"Don't call me that!" She whacked away my arm and stood, bending over the bottom of the window ledge and looking around. It looked awkward with her bulging stomach.

I don't know what happened. Something did though, as suddenly she jerked wildly and her arms were flailing like mad, slamming against the inside wall. I saw blood splatter against the open window above her head, and I heard muffled screams as she kicked. Absolutely terrified, I scrambled backwards, mouth agape as she shook like a rag doll.

Her body suddenly fell limp and in front of her I saw a figure rise, two long pincer like shapes casting shadows against the inside of the study. But now I could see distinguishing features.

I could see two halves, one black and the other white, but what drew my eye was the smeared blood around his face as his yellow eyes gleamed back at me through the open window. I saw him chew on _something_ as he almost comically tilted his head at me.

There was no air in my body to even scream but I had no choice. A hand suddenly covered my mouth and I went wild, thrashing in the grip, clawing, twisting, biting. The hold was tight and I was held in a way that I couldn't even move.

The tears came as I realised what this meant and as I let myself stare at my Mum's motionless body. I whimpered against the hand that was smothering me, and I jerked around in the arms of my holder. I could feel their breath against the shell of my ear, and all I could do was cry.

I was so. Fucking. Scared.

Then I heard a voice whisper into my ear. It was young, but boyish—male. What he said sent shivers down my spine.

"How does it feel, hmm, when parents don't listen to their child?"

* * *

_1 – the song is Breath by Breaking Benjamin._

_Please give feedback! :D _


	2. Q&A

_Thank you for the favourites and the alerts and the reviews (ta for feedback from 'kouriel' and 'DestinyDragon65'). XD *throws out chocolate cookies* It's actually quite fun having the Akatsuki in a modern environment. I already have the story planned out, pretty much, I just hope it lasts that long.  
_

_Warnings? Not really. I'm unsure about some symptoms and reactions to a particular thing which you will know when you read it, but otherwise, no. _

_Please give me concrit. I'd really appreciate it. Hope it's realistic.  
_

_Enjoy!

* * *

_

—**CHAPTER TWO—**  
_Q&A

* * *

_

I watched with hopeless eyes as another murderer walked into the room, his cloak—now that I could see—swishing around his legs with each stride. I stared up at him, my eyes wide but he merely sent me a glance before he walked to where my Mum was left hanging. When he laid a hand on her back I struggled against the grip I was captured in.

His hand grabbed at my Mum's collar of her thin, lavender dressing gown and he pulled her into the room. Her body dropped to the floor like a brick, blood leaking over her head as it lolled in my direction so that her face was exposed.

At least what was left of it.

None of them could stop me.

I sealed my eyes shut and screamed as long and as loud as I could. I screamed until my throat felt as though it was being shredded, and even then I continued, unable to remove the horrific damage done to my Mum's face. It was burned into my retinas so deeply that I wouldn't have been surprised if it was all I saw if I opened my eyes.

I had seen that sort of thing in those horror movies Callum and Jordan made me watch, but it was never something I enjoyed. I always got scared, so I got talking, so they got annoyed, so they vowed never to watch a horror or suspense movie with me ever again.

Now was completely different. This was real life.

"Deidara, keep her quiet."

The hand around my mouth pressed tighter against my face, and the hand around my shoulder shifted to my throat where it squeezed. I began hacking, unable to breathe, unable to think.

"Deidara."

Then I felt it. Something wet and slimy and hot shot into my mouth when I opened it to cough. I widened my eyes, instantly beginning to gag with the foreign object in there as it had completely filled it. I didn't want to know. God, I just did not want to know.

Hot tears leaked from my eye as I opened them at last, trying to breathe through my nostrils as I shot looks frantically around the room. I trembled and almost started howling again when I saw my Mum's half chewed off face, but the reminder of the hand on my throat and on my mouth—and whatever was _in_ it—dulled my temptation.

I watched again, shaking, as the standing intruder kicked at my Mum's corpse (I tried to resist but it was futile) and nodded to the man outside.

"Finish her," he said. "A shame."

I tried analysing him, tried to remember what I could see so that if I ever escaped I could hunt him down again and just kill him for what he had done. His cloak, which I had identified before, was very dark, but I could see patterns of white lines that were all identical. They did look familiar.

And slowly I started to piece things together. I was getting restless, wriggling around in _Deidara's _grip as my mind started to accept the inevitably impossible.

Hidan. Tobi. The pincer-shaped man—Zetsu—cannibal. Deidara. White, outlined clouds on black cloaks.

Akatsuki.

I went into hyperventilation, made all the more difficult with what I could now guess as Deidara's...

I tried to scream again as my eyes bulged in their sockets. I kicked at the floor but I was held steadfast. Everything—_everything_—was all swimming in my head like a thick, white, haze which was slowly starting to eat away at my brain. My heart was pounding so rapidly in my chest that I felt it was about burst from it. My eyes glazed, my vision getting blurry, and soon enough I felt myself dip into darkness.

* * *

Something wet licked my face, dragging saliva over my eyes and nose and then finally my lips before I decided to whack at it. My hand hit something soft, and I hesitantly placed it back down on whatever I hit. It was smooth, and as I dragged my hand in one direction, I suddenly heard loud panting right next to my ear, followed by a whiff of a horrible breath.

"Nehg," I moaned, opening my eyes that were crusted with sleep. My body felt so heavy, and for a second I wondered why, until, again, I had all my memories return to me. Only... now they were all hazy, like my own brain figured I'd be better off if I didn't have the explicit detail of them. But no matter how hard my brain tried, my body could still remember the trauma of the situation.

I felt a queasiness stir in my stomach, and I sat up on what I recognised to be the green couch in living room. I saw the kitchen and flashbacks scurried back into my mind, making my stomach clench and gurgle even further.

I felt sick just remembering the death of Mum and Dad. The thought was haunting that they would never ever sit down at the table in the morning and sip at scorching coffee, that they'd never again trail their fingers through my hair or each others, that they'd never again see Madeline or have a big dinner of roast lamb with seasoned baked potatoes; because that's what death does. Take away all these opportunities.

Unsteadily, I stood from the couch. Fletcher, the neighbour's medium-sized golden Labrador, frantically licked at my still fingers by my side—how...did he get in? I took a step forward before I realised I wasn't the only one in the room. My vision sharpened on the seated red-head figure next to the TV. He was leaning against the wall, his legs crossed, dressed in the black and red robes, and he was watching me with rustic red eyes. He looked exactly like Sasori, right down to the poker face expression and the teal finger nail polish that I scouted as he tapped his fingers against his knee.

They probably had something to do with how Fletcher got in. But why not kill him too?

"You look a little sick," I heard him say tauntingly. I knew he didn't give a damn how I felt. He smiled eerily, as though he knew something I did not.

I ignored him and looked around, feeling my throat constrict as the uneasiness continued to fester. Fletcher licked at my fingers and I dazedly stared down at him before looking intently at the kitchen. My heart froze when I caught sight of the blood stained into the carpet. I had to close my eyes and take a very deep breath to remove the memory from the front of my brain.

"She awake yet?" someone said, and from down the stairs came another member of what my mind claimed to be the group Akatsuki—I was still in denial. He had lost his cloak, instead wearing the traditional outfit he wore beneath. His hair was black, pulled into a low ponytail.

He looked up only when he reached the bottom step, and he paused in scratching the back of his neck. I was staring into coal black eyes.

Itachi.

"I see she is." I watched his lips move as he spoke in that boring, monotonous tone he always used.

"Yeah. And took her time, too," Sasori answered. I heard him stand up and I shuddered violently when I felt him brush by me. He gave me a look, his eyes narrowed. "But she looks a little queasy." I saw Itachi approach us from the corner of my eyes, Fletcher bouncing up to him and demanding a pet, to which the Uchiha obliged without looking.

Sasori leaned into me, slipped his short fingers under my chin—they were surprisingly soft—as he tilted my head up and then to the side. All the while, I stared at him and his poker face, feeling my stomach suddenly act violently.

It happened before I could stop it. I vomited.

On Sasori.

I was hardly in a state to clearly gauge his reaction, but I saw him glance down at his coat and feet, his hand still under my chin, and then back up at me with a severe look of irritation. I started crying again, everything coming back at me full force.

"I'm sorry," I sobbed, a hand over my mouth—it tasted horrible. My hair, stringy from sweat, dangled over my face, in the way.

Sasori didn't seem to care. His lips thinned and he held a finger up at Itachi, who, when I glanced at him, looked as though he was torn between grimacing or chuckling manly. Fletcher had barked and bounded to the stain, instantly licking at it.

"Urgh," the red-head gagged, taking a step back, but then giving me one of the deadliest glares I have ever seen—yet I had a feeling I had seen nothing yet. "You stupid girl," he uttered. He was having trouble with the right words. I could guess by the way he was shifting his jaw.

"I'm sorry," I repeated. "I didn't mean to."

"Whether you meant it or not hardly matters, idiotic human," he huffed. "You—"

"Sasori," Itachi interrupted, and if I wasn't a blubbering mess with vomit all over my chin, I would have hugged him—maybe. He gestured to the stairs. "Wake Leader up. Tell him she's awake."

The red-head gritted his teeth so loudly I could hear it. "You don't have to tell me twice," he grumbled as he stalked passed the Uchiha and upstairs, but not without giving me one final glare.

Itachi nodded at the couch. "Sit." I promptly sat down, unable to stop neither the tears nor my shaking body. I was far too cooperative. God, was I condemned to crying until I died?

He disappeared into the kitchen and I heard a tap running. He returned not long later, wringing a drying cloth. He stopped at the junction between the two rooms and tossed the towel at me—Fletcher snapped at it while it was in the air. It hit me in the face, and robotically I took hold of it and started wiping off my face.

"Thank you," I whispered. I still didn't believe it was him, nor any of the Akatsuki. I'd need more proof, and even then...

"Don't thank me," he said firmly. "Clean it up." I stared at him and he tilted his head at the stain on the carpet, keeping his arms crossed.

I sniffled as I went to my knees and tried to push Fletcher away from it but he was insistent in darting his tongue at it—disgusting. I gagged again. "Fletcher, move."

Itachi then squatted, clicking his fingers. "Dog. Here."

The canine raced over to the Uchiha in a heartbeat and started licking at his face. I grimaced, but set to work. My hands did start to get raw quite quickly. I had always used them for delicate things, not helping around the house much actually, except for the garden.

I watched him lower himself to the floor in my peripheral vision and lean against the wall, Fletcher between his bent legs. He groaned as he tilted his head back and started watching me from under feminine lashes. "Your Mother was a mistake," he told me.

I paused, my heart pounding all of a sudden. My brain had suddenly awoken and was telling my body to freak out at the fact that a fictional character was talking to me. I widened my eyes slightly. Uchiha absentmindedly scratched the dog's throat but he didn't tear his eyes from me.

The mention of Mum...

I shook my head and licked my lips, the lingering taste of stomach acid still there. "What do you mean?" I whispered very softly. Fletcher's ears twitched.

"You were meant to be killed," he stated almost casually.

"W-What?" I stuttered, breathless.

"Your Mother was older, and would there have had more information regarding this place. Besides, the survival of her child would be a natural instinct, so we were confident that she'd tell us what we wanted to know," he explained, but I could hardly hear it over my beating heart that had suddenly moved up to my brain. "That worked. You're the only one left."

I swallowed, grimacing when the after taste of the upchuck went back down. I snivelled as the memories returned again at the mention of her. I gripped my head, abandoning the rag. It hurt. My head really hurt, and I felt nauseous. Fletcher must have sensed my discomfort, as he whined and tilted his head at me.

The sound of footsteps met my ear, and I took a deep breath as I massaged my temples.

"Leader is coming," the familiar voice of Sasori said. He went straight to the kitchen, not forgetting to send me a vicious glare when I looked his way. I heard the tap turn on, followed by a soft hiss.

Itachi tilted his head towards the kitchen as he said, "left is hot. Right is cold."

"Thanks, Uchiha," he muttered sarcastically.

I blinked, momentarily confused. First of all, Sasori had a wooden body. How the heck did he suddenly get nerves in his fingers to react to the sudden onslaught of heat? While I did know that puppets in this world couldn't be real—unless you believed in demon puppets, which is just ridiculous—puppet turning human was just as nonsensical.

"It seems they can use hot water at will here," Itachi said. He scratched Fletcher's head; the canine was now lying like an empty sack against the Uchiha's leg and he was drooling. "A little different."

"No kidding," the red head responded. "The sooner we get the information we need, the better."

Itachi gestured to me with a flick of his nose. "And what of the girl? Did Leader say anything?"

Sasori came into the room, a paper towel wrapped around his fingers to which he scowled at and a wet patch on his cloak where I had vomited. I was still confused how he was able to feel it. "We'll find out in a few seconds." He then glared at me. "My money's on killing."

To make me feel worse, I heard multiple footsteps heading in my direction, and as I peeked over my shoulder, I was met with grey, ringed eyes and an expression that made the Leader so much more intimidating than on the piddling television. His eyes... they were hypnotic, and his taut lips just reminded me who I was dealing with. The piercings that adorned his face made him feel so much scarier—and if Charlie were here, I wouldn't be surprised if she started playing with them; she loved piercings.

Konan was prettier than I expected, but her stone-like face was a little freaky; like she was a lifeless, gorgeous doll. They had both discarded their cloak somewhere, and I'm sure that if it were any other moment, and if I was a serious fangirl who kept a shrine, I would have raked my eyes over Pein and Itachi's muscular arms.

Instead, something else happened.

"We need to talk," Pein demanded.

Instantly I was faced with a series of painful images of the night before, followed by buckets of sweating as I bowed my head, trying to breathe while my heartbeat increased tenfold. I gasped, sucking in air but feeling none go in.

"_You know your punishment."_

His deep voice rang in my ears and my brain, confusing me completely as I tried to get a grip on reality. I felt like my head was about to explode.

I could feel Dad's blood splash against me like it had happened just then. I ran my hands over my face, clawing at it, feeling dried blood peel off; it was his. I was still covered in it. It only made it worse.

"Enough," Pein called again.

I could feel and hear his irritation with me, but I couldn't shake it. It was like his voice was a trigger. And then it clicked. Through the confusion and lack of oxygen and near hysteria, just before I passed out, I realised what was wrong with me.

I had developed Post-traumatic Stress Disorder.

* * *

Voices were muddled but I could hear them. They were like tiny alphabet noodles in tomato soup, all mixed together and indiscernible. I could still see/hear them though. I heard Pein's voice, and felt a moment of panic, before he was cut off by Konan—I assumed.

"No," she said. "Don't. It—reacts—voice."

"—needs answers."

"—know that. Itachi and I will—her. Go—bed."

Someone started walking away, sounding none too happy about the situation but I honestly didn't care.

"She's awake again," I heard Itachi say, and figuring that I should drop the pretence, I opened my eyes. I was staring at the ceiling as I let my fingers rake over what I was lying on. It was slightly fluffy but also short; I was on the floor, probably left where I collapsed.

Then a mane of red and a stoic face hung over me, sending my heart to my throat as I gasped. Sasori frowned deeply. "When will you stop fainting on us?" he asked rhetorically. He looked up at Konan, who was at my feet, squatting; I was forced to stare at his life-like throat. "This is a waste of our time. She'll just keep going out. Removing the lights entirely might be best."

I panicked.

"No."

I relaxed.

"We won't kill her," the female spoke.

"Yet," Sasori mumbled.

Suddenly Fletcher's massive tongue smothered my face and I ended up coughing, pushing his tiny but heavy body off of me. I started to sit up at the same time, and instantly I felt hands grip both arms tightly, followed by a voice whispering in my ear, "now some answers."

I really don't like Sasori.

Weakly, I nodded, though inwardly promised that I wouldn't know when I'd faint on them again. I knew that Pein's voice would send me into hysterics now, so it was definitely one of the triggers. I'd have to avoid him entirely, I suppose, otherwise I may just connect any Akatsuki member with what happened—even though I did know—and I would end up dead.

"Good," Konan affirmed. She sat down entirely and crossed her legs. I saw Itachi behind her, sitting on the couch and surfing through a bowl of liquorice that was left on the coffee table. I could tell he was still listening though. "Where are we?"

What the?

I furrowed my brow at her in confusion and anger. Had I seriously risked my life the night before to answer that very same question? And now they were asking it again?

"Why didn't you believe me when I said it last time?" I asked. I shifted my pitch to ensure that I showed submission. I wasn't exactly stupid. I knew when it was smart to listen and shut up—though keeping my tongue reigned in was always difficult. Last night... I was overwhelmed with skyrocketing emotions, so I had to let loose.

I won't lie. I valued my life. There were still things to do, and keeping in their good graces would be best and maybe, just maybe, they wouldn't kill me by the end—Sasori would have something to say about it though.

"You had no evidence."

"You asked!" I exclaimed. "I'd hardly have the time to think up some lie when I was busy fearing for the life of my family and myself!"

"True," she mumbled, dropping her gaze.

"And why wasn't I killed then if you thought I was lying?"

"A mere tool to convince your Mother to talk, that was all," she replied like it was as normal as the weather.

My heart skipped a beat. These guys... they would not survive in my world if they dared to venture out. And I wasn't going to help them.

Let them suffer.

"L-Look," I stuttered, swallowing. I gestured to Dads study, plus another bookshelf on the wall near the kitchen. "Look through those. There are Atlas's there that would prove I'm telling the truth," I spoke hurriedly.

Itachi got up to surf through them, while I repeated, hastily, what I had said last night. I watched as his fingers grazed each of the spines of the books, but one arm twist from Sasori and I hissed, turning to Konan who was looking at me expectantly. She sighed silently.

"'Alice Springs,'" she reiterated. "You don't happen to mean 'Hot Springs' do you?"

I gave her a confused look, trying to figure out why she mentioned such a thing before I had a vague recollection that there was a ninja country called it. I shook my head. "No. No, no. Alice Springs it—Itachi, you're reading it back to front. The content page is at the front."

He glanced at me before flipping back to the front of an Atlas he found. He thumbed the first few pages before resuming his read.

"It-It should be under Australia," I helped. Or... so I thought.

"I can read, little girl," he said.

I frowned. "How can you read English anyway?" I asked, and instantly I knew it was perhaps the wrong thing to ask. Sure, I could always say 'you know, you look Japanese' or 'it was just a guess; a good one, eh?' but really, I wouldn't. Why? Simple. I made a vow to never lie. It was one of my beliefs that the truth is always better.

So when all three of them turned their heads to stare at me, I couldn't help but feel a little bit of fear trickle through my veins.

I felt Sasori's breath on my ear. "I believe there's something you're not telling us."

But that didn't mean I couldn't avoid speaking the truth. You have got to love plot holes.

"Of course there is," I muttered. "You haven't asked anything else."

"English is a secondary language in our country," Konan explained but I could see the way her piercing blue eyes seemed to look deep into my mind, and frankly, it scared me. I was waiting for her to just ask me how I knew they were from a different culture, but she simply tilted her head and didn't say anything regarding it.

Itachi suddenly shoved the book in her view, one hand keeping the pages open. I felt my heart beat, just hoping that nobody had, for some reason, ripped out the pages showing where Alice Springs was. Konan took the book, her eyebrows high, as she swept through the pages. Itachi stood behind her, pointing out some things and saying something but the two were speaking in such low voices that all could hear was Fletcher's loud panting and Sasori's breathing—which was unnerving.

"Japan..." I heard her say aloud.

"W-What about it?" I winced. My arm was getting tired, so I tugged it a bit to let the red-head know my arm was going numb. He didn't seem to care.

"There isn't a place called Japan in our countries," Konan explained. "The language on these few pages is also in Japanese." She looked up at me. "What do you know of this country?"

Oh boy. What a huge question. And my 'saviour' wasn't that helpful either.

Pein had come down the stairs, looking none too happy. He had his arms crossed, that's why, and his facial expression looked annoyed. I whimpered, and his ringed eyes narrowed on me. I didn't want him near me at all, so I started struggling against Sasori's grip. Things got loud then, but no one was even talking.

My breathing and pulse increased and images flashed before my eyes. Tears fell, hot and salty, mingling with my sweat.

"This is a waste of time," I heard someone say. It was echoey.

"She'll just have to get used it." Oh God, that was his voice. "Tie her up."

My eyes rolled about in their sockets, hidden behind thin lids.

"Pein, that will only make things harder."

"Then maybe we should find another source of information."

Then someone laughed. It, too, was familiar but only vaguely. I forced myself to open my eyes so that I could see who was there. Standing behind the leader, on the stairs, was the blond, long-haired bomber, adorning his arrogant expression that he always wore. Deidara. He was one conceited pocky who I didn't like.

He chuckled again. "Maybe," he said, grinning widely. "Or..." he sighed and held up a book, and on the front, written in large, bold, orange writing was the title _Naruto_, "...we could just take a look through this."

It was like I was suddenly pushed onto a massive stage, a bright light shining down on me that screamed 'Yo! Here!' as they all stared in my direction. My body tingled lightly as I saw Pein holding out his hand to Deidara, and as the blond gave him the book silently, though still wearing the same suicidal smirk. Over and over I cursed to myself. I had the first three volumes that I bought over eBay and had locked in a tiny cabinet in my room.

He must have knocked the glass in—he went in my _room?_ And of course I was suddenly reminded of the feeling of his hand-tongue thingy digging into my mou—eww! I gagged at the thought.

"You—" I gurgled out.

"No," Pein interrupted.

The pressure in the room seemed to intensify as he shifted his ringed eyes from the front cover of the book to me. I shuffled back into Sasori, trying to wriggle out of his grasp, but his hands tightened even more around my arms and he pretty much pushed me into the floor to keep me still.

"No! Let me go!" I cried. I started sweating.

He held it up sharply, making me flinch, and I saw his nose scrunch slightly as he lifted his lips into a very light snarl. All of a sudden, his hand was gripping my jaw tightly and I was forced to stare him in the eyes. He hovered over my body, feet either side, the book held up in his hand.

I shuddered, crying again, feeling my mind swell as the flashbacks returned. The trigger. Oh God, he was the trigger. Make it go away!

"Care to explain?" he gritted through his teeth.

I heard the thundering sound of steps coming down the upstairs hallway, and someone loud exclaiming, "what the fuck is going on?" I saw Hidan jump down from the top steps, landing very loudly at the bottom and practically shaking the foundation of the house. I widened my eyes at the sound of his voice—he had hit me the night before. It was him.

Slowly, the rest of Akatsuki started trickling from their (my) rooms—but Zetsu, who was God only knows where—looking as though they had a very rough night's sleep due to the unruly hair and crumpled clothes. Their usual large items must have been stashed where the slept, and were only roused by Pein's sudden I-am-angry pressure. Tobi, though, I noticed, look immaculate, and he childishly waved at me. I could only whine into Pein's hand.

They blinked blearily as they crowded around me and stared down as though they were vultures and I the bloody, rotting carcass. I knew that I couldn't disregard it now. This was real. The weight of their gaze was real as, one by one, they noticed the book their leader was holding. The pain in my jaw was certainly real. His hand was real; and it could have only meant one thing.

Pein shook my head roughly and I snapped my eyes back to him in fear.

"Don't look at them," he growled. I whimpered again. "Why is the Jinchuuriki on this book? Explain, from the beginning, how it's possible. Explain... everything," he repeated slowly. I shivered, feeling the panic attack return when he shook my head again—it felt as though he would pull it off my neck. "And don't faint on me again!"

The salty tears now flowed nonstop.

I had to say now. I had to explain why it was, and about the country Japan and its language. I had to divulge everything to these criminals who'd use it to their advantage—or worse, wreak havoc on my own world.

"There were two others," Deidara said in the background. "They each had different people on them; a pink haired chick, the copy-nin, and another that looked to be Itachi's little bro. They were in her room." His lips tilted into an amused, cocky smile as he tilted his head down at me to give me a look. "So don't even try lying, hmm."

"No!" I gulped out, wishing that I wouldn't pass out. One more time and I didn't doubt Pein would finish me off. "P-Please, jus-st..." She breathed through her nose shakily. "You're hurting my jaw."

He let his grip loosen but not by much. "Answer my first question."

My lungs scrambled for air, making myself very light-headed. "L-Look. That is a loaded question. I-I need air... to explain." He didn't relent. "W-What does it look like? He's on the cover of a book! A comic book! Open it, and there are pictures telling a story! W-What does that tell you?" I sobbed out, my hand gripping Pein's wrist just barely thanks to Sasori.

Without breaking his eyes from mine, he handed the book to Konan and she flipped through it briefly, right to left. Fletcher was now in Tobi's hands and licking at his orange mask; the man was giggling girlishly, and Deidara, beside him, glared at him and rolled his eyes. Hidan smacked the taller, dark-haired man over the head.

"It shows the Jinchuuriki's graduation and his meeting with his squad. It is telling a story, much like the comics we have in Ame," she informed. "The following books must continue it."

Pein let my jaw go and I instantly started to massage it, ripping my gaze from his grey eyes. I felt like I had taken a dip in the pool out the back as I was soaked with my sweat. My head was also pounding from me trying to force myself to keep awake. I could feel adrenaline pump through my body.

I tugged my arms again, hoping, this time, that Sasori would let go. "Please," I begged, bending over and pressing my sweat forehead against my equally wet legs. Late winter, it was, but it was clearly getting into spring; the temperature had to be rising. And he didn't seem convinced.

"If that's true then the later volumes should depict the Akatsuki's entrance into the storyline. Deidara." The blond raised an eyebrow and the orange-head shifted towards him. "You say there were only two others." He nodded. "Girl." I flinched and hesitantly raised my head, but only stared directly at his snakebite piercings. "How many volumes are there?"

A lot. That was seriously all I knew. After I bought the first three books I started reading them on the internet, and they were all posted by chapter, not by book. I couldn't even remember what chapter I was up to.

"I-I don't know—at least fifty!" I squeezed out in a rush before any of them could hurt me.

"Fifty?" Hidan repeated incredulously, raising an eyebrow. "Feh. Can't be that much."

I was momentarily tempted to blurt out that I knew how and when he died but obviously that would just make things even harder on me. I was in a very bad situation was it was—not to mention hungry; which just reminded me that they were probably hungry as well. Oh, please don't tell me I'll be forced to be their cook or maid or whatever. I could cook, sure, but I didn't know Asian dishes which they were probably used to.

Deidara stepped forward slightly, past Konan. "Just how much do you know about us?" he asked snidely.

"Some things," I panicked, my voice high. It wasn't technically a lie, was it?

"Care to elaborate?" Sasori said behind me.

I bit my lip, trying to figure out how to say it. "What... just happened where you came from? A recent event?" The question came out calmer than I had expected, and I became gradually aware of the slowing of my heart. "J-Just answer the damn question."

The Akatsuki glanced between each other, seemingly confused about why I would need to know such a thing. Well, I guess I didn't need to know but it would help me gauge just what I needed to withhold and what wasn't necessary. Obviously they were all still together, so it had to be before the time skip, before Sasori was killed—unless some mumbo jumbo thing happened where they brought him back with a human body, which did actually explain why I felt skin bruising my arms. It answered a—

"Sound has been erased from the map," Pein responded.

My eyes bulged. "W-What?"


	3. My Decision

_Thank you guys for your support! It's awesome!_

_I don't think I handled Faye properly in this chapter, and, in all honesty, the Akatsuki probably would have killed her outright, but to pick up on the story and actually _have _a story, this had to be done. Give feedback, please, on how I could have done it better. :)_

_Warnings: Swearing. That's gonna be the same for the rest of the story.  
_

_Enjoy!

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_

—**CHAPTER THREE—**  
_My Decision

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_

That couldn't be right. The manga didn't have the obliteration of Sound—at least I don't think it did. They had to be wrong but... they had lived it, they would know. I had to ask more questions; I knew I did. I had to, to find out what was going on and what I possibly knew. If Sound was destroyed then anything I knew might be completely useless; though—I glanced at Itachi. His past would be the same. And so would Tobi's, right? His identity would be the same, and so would Pein's (or Nagato's) goal for doing what he was. Things like that, should be the same... right?

"You sound surprised," Pein stated.

"W-Well, yeah," I mumbled, my eyes wide. "I—I—" I swallowed thickly as he raised a questioning eyebrow. "Sound wasn't destroyed... in the books."

Hidan started laughing and Deidara was wearing a smirk. I had no idea what the two masked men were thinking and Kisame was yawning largely, his back against the archway. The silver-head gasped for breath. "You can't trust a thing this bitch says!"

"Yeah, her information may be useless," the terrorist bomber agreed. I felt Sasori nod behind me.

"But it doesn't deny the fact that she clearly does recognise us, as well as the geography of where we come from," Kakuzu stated. His partner stopped laughing and glared at him. "She still may hold information from these books that may match ours."

"Shut up, Kakuzu!" Hidan scowled. "I was enjoying the moment."

"Enjoy it later on," he said tonelessly.

All eyes shifted to me again. The hope in keeping secrecy was gone. They knew that I knew stuff, whether relevant or not. I could poke around in the dark for answers they may or may not know. If they didn't know the answer, then it could still possibly happen... depending on the timeline.

But I was curious. How was Sound destroyed? So I asked. It was fruitless though, as Pein had responded with that same dry, condescending tone that it was none of my business.

"Let's start from the beginning," he said. Hidan moved across the room to sink into the couch, followed by Deidara and Tobi who was loudly trying to call Fletcher over to him, who had returned to me before. I had my hand gripping his collar so that he couldn't move, even if I felt him tugging against me. I wanted him near. He was the last shred of hope from a sudden dreary existence—at least the only one around.

"These books called_ Naruto_ are a comic story based around the Jinchuuriki, who, I assume, is also called Naruto," Pein started from the top. I frowned at the fact that he didn't know the blond's name. I swore they did; at least Itachi did.

I nodded. They were good at deducing; they were ninja after all.

"Considering, Naruto, the copy-nin, his friends and Konoha in general are enemies of the Akatsuki, it is safe to assume that we—" he gestured around, "—are included."

I nodded again, but hesitantly.

"But Sound has not been destroyed."

Again, I tilted my head.

"Is the series finished?"

I repeated my action. "B-But that's why I asked... who did it..." I cut in before he could speak. When his eyes narrowed I held my breath. But then he indicated for me to continue as he perched himself against the arm of the chair. For some reason, Kisame and Kakuzu started walking around the room and pulling the blinds down, so that the area was filled with a soft, orange glow thanks to the sun through the blinds.

This time, I'd explain in full. "Sound was only destroyed at the end and... by that time, Akatsuki was destroyed."

They were silent as they soaked in what I said.

"That's fucking bullshit!" Hidan cursed.

"I'm inclined to agree," the money-lover concurred from behind the couch. There were a series of nods around the room, and I had a feeling that Pein glancing around was just a simple cover up so that he could meet Tobi's eyes. Maybe what I said had actually explained a fair bit of what I could know.

"Was there nobody left?" Konan asked.

"N-No..." I frowned. "W-Well... uh..."

"Spit it out, kid," Kisame told gruffly by the window.

I flinched, not expecting his voice. "T-Tobi! Tobi was one!" I squeezed my eyes shut, afraid. Madara scared me the most.

But the disguised Uchiha shot from his seat and started waving his arms in the air merrily. "Yay! Tobi's a survivor!"

Deidara, grumbling to himself, yanked the hyperactive man back into the chair and ignored him completely when he innocently boasted. Fletcher barked in excitement, stamping his paws against the carpet. Tobi, again thrilled by someone's happiness, swooped down to steal the Labrador from my grasp and swing him around, giggling.

"How did someone like him get in Akatsuki?" Deidara mumbled to himself. Hidan looked ready to kill someone—no surprise... oh shit.

"Because he was one of the only ones to survive," Itachi replied from across the room. The terrorist bomber glared in the Uchiha's direction, but Itachi was looking innocently elsewhere, tapping his fingers against his biceps.

"This is ridiculous!" he cried, rising from his seat. "How did an idiot like that survive?" he screamed, pointing at Tobi who was rubbing the nose of his mask against Fletcher's.

"We're not happy about it either, brat," Sasori growled. I flinched. He was right by my ear.

"I'm fucking immortal! How did I fucking die?"

"You know, he's got a point," Kisame said.

Kakuzu intervened. "Did we not establish that her information may be untrustworthy?"

At his words, everyone seemed to calm down a little more, which made my heart relax a little as well. I could not handle the stress at the moment.

"It seems we will have to decide this by years, not by events," Pein said. He then gestured to Itachi. "Itachi's brother left Konoha four years ago."

I widened my eyes, shaking my head. No. Everything was out of whack. Things were totally different over there, wherever they came from. They had to be wrong. Or was Masashi Kishimoto the one who was wrong? It... couldn't be both, right?

"No?" He raised an eyebrow incredulously. "When did he leave in the books?"

I was, by no means, an expert in the Naruto timeline, but I knew that it was a little less than three years when Naruto returned, and a bit more when Sasori was killed. Yet he was here, behind me, and they say it had been four years since. Plus Sound was destroyed. See my dilemma?

The War happened, plus the destruction of Akatsuki and unveiling of Madara Uchiha, in the four years.

At least Sasuke's betrayal remained the same.

"N-No. After he left, it was a little over four years until the end of the series," I tried to explain.

Hidan snorted. "Pathetic. Waste of our fucking time. Nothing she says will be useful."

"I agree," Sasori said, tightening his grip.

"You're biased," I bit out. "Ow!"

"Keep your tongue in," he hissed in my ear.

Pein cracked his neck. "It seems so. Is there anything, girl, that may be of use to us before we kill you?"

"W-What?" Panic ensued immediately, filling my entire body until I was tingling like I was glowing. "Yes! O-Of course!" I didn't want to die. "I-I know why you're doing this whole, er, extracting the Bijuu thing—"

"So do we," Kisame said.

I frantically looked around, trying to think of excuses. Unfortunately, I didn't quite process if the things I said were the right ones. "I know what happened in each of your pasts—at least some of you!"

"Like that matters to us," one of them said.

"I-I know who Tobi is!"

They all fell silent as the orange-masked man perked up. I had a sudden vibe that he was a little pissed when I blurted that out, but he quickly disguised it by jumping and waving his hands. "Everyone knows who Tobi is! Tobi is Tobi!" Deidara, who had his fingers under his chin in deep thought, glowered like he knew all too well.

I had to admit, his excuse wasn't bad.

"Tobi's identity is part of his past, ergo, no consequence to us," Pein smoothly cut in, removing everyone's attention—a little—from Tobi who had his face buried into Fletcher as though he was hiding. "Now." The Leader rose from his seat, staring down at me. "If those are all the excuses you can give, we are not impressed."

God, no. Please no. I was almost as good as dead. "Just because the order of events are different doesn't mean they won't happen!" I screamed loudly. I felt Sasori pinch my skin very hard that I gasped. I cried; harder than I had before, even last night. My heart was pounding so fast that it felt as though it could be seen as it pushed against my chest.

Pein paused. "Tell us how to access this information."

"No!"

He hit me across the face so fast that the only way I knew I was hit was because my lip was bleeding and my entire jaw was aching. Plus I was leaning limply into Sasori's arms. I blearily looked up at him to see him walking away a little.

I spat the blood out, feeling slightly dizzy at the sight of it. I inhaled deeply, then exhaled, shuddering. "It's not just that," I said quietly. Pein looked over his shoulder to meet my eyes but I was staring at his feet. The tears didn't stop. "I don't know how-w you got here, but there... is nothing like you in this world. You're... an anomaly. All of you."

"What's your point, girl?" Hidan grunted. He leaned forward in his seat and my eyes were drawn to him. My body tingled when I grazed over his muscles, and since he didn't have a shirt on—it was still winter, so he was a bit of an idiot (like I can talk)—I found myself staring rather obviously at his chest, feeling a little... interested in what I was seeing.

It was no rare thing to see men walk around with sweat-soaked singlets or even shirtless during summer, and so quite often the girls and me would go out and do some scouting—particularly at building sites. Once or twice I liked what I saw, but I was picky. I liked Jordan's physique; the whole thing that if a man hugged you his arms would engulf you, and since I was quite short, I loved it even more. There was nothing wrong with a slimmer man either, but as I said, I was picky.

This, what I was seeing now, I knew, was something I liked.

Mechanically, I had to open my jaw to respond. "You know that you are featured in this series," I started, swallowing soon after. "This series is sold worldwide. Everywhere you go, there's a chance you will be recognised."

"And how should that worry us?" Kakuzu asked. "If they recognise us, they'd flee. Just like you did."

I shook my head. "No. They would not flee." Then I met his green eyes as I furrowed my brow. "They're fa-ans," my voice cracked.

Itachi, I think, rolled his eyes and emitted a small moan, while Pein just raised an eyebrow. "Fangirls?"

Hidan snorted, leaning back into the couch and stretching his arms, locking them behind his head. "We'll just kill them if they get in the way."

"No!" I cried, horrified. How many people would that be? I did not want to think about it. "Look." I glared at Pein, staring him in the eyes for the first time since the interrogation began of my own free will. "This is _not_ your world." Confidence and anger, at last, started to build. "You can't just walk around my world, killing people of your own accord, just because you're too stupid to slip in. That's just utterly ridiculous! Aren't you meant to be ninja?"

There I was, letting my tongue slip and slide as I continued to talk. I was at the point my fear had lessened, instead controlled by annoyance—though, I could still feel fright in my system; I was so close to dying... I had been.

Several of them changed their stances into signs of aggression, but Pein had held up a hand and they stopped. He narrowed his eyes at me, and I shivered.

"And you think you could help us?" he asked.

"What?" I breathed out. "What?" Tears came back full force. "You barge into my home, _kill_ my parents, do _something_ with their bodies, _threaten_ me if I don't answer your questions—which I did—and then think I'll help you?"

"You'll get your life."

I paused. Yes. I would, but no freedom. I'd... need to time to think about it, if they'd even let it.

I dropped my head. "How did you get here?" I asked.

"A jutsu gone wrong," the leader responded after a moment's time.

I rolled my eyes, muttering, "It's always the jutsu," under my breath. I could feel the weight of their gaze on me. "I want you to leave."

Hidan and Deidara scoffed and Kisame chuckled.

"Not that easy, chicklin'," the blue-skinned ninja said. He grinned. "You see, we don't even know how to get back. Or how to start."

"And you think I'd know?" I asked. "I'm just a pathetic human that you didn't think twice in killing if I hadn't stopped you." I tugged for the last bloody time to get out of Sasori's grasp. "And this is hardly helping your situation. Let me go, already!" I screamed.

The red-head suddenly let go and I pushed away from him as fast as I could, not caring if I had sent him to the floor or not. Without looking up to meet any of them in the eyes, I sprinted past Pein, making sure to avoid any contact. I half expected for one of them to suddenly grab me and push me back into the circle so that they could glower at me again, but I reached the stairs without any resistance, and feeling free for the first time in hours, I headed straight to my room.

I smashed the door closed, not caring if it made the walls shudder, and locked it, slamming my fists against it. Tears sprung from my eyes and I rested my forehead on it. It was too much. Everything had gone straight to hell. They were still in my house, still talking and planning downstairs, and I had no idea if I was going to get away with my life.

For now, all I could do was wait. I couldn't escape, so there was no point in trying. My life was literally in their hands.

Sniffling, I raked my fingers over the stickered door, flashbacking to the moment where Mum had opened it and ordered me to hide under the bed. Fervently I wished I could have stayed under there, and maybe one of them would have survived. I cast my eyes over the crinkled bed. The covers were still pulled back when I had thrown them off before, but they were flattened, like somebody else had slept on it. My purple pillow was propped up against the wall, and all the toys I slept with were on the floor.

One of them had slept on my bed. I wish I had lice, then they could have gotten it. On that note, I hope Fletcher has fleas and would attack them.

I sat on the foot of my cot and glared at the denture marks, wondering who the heck slept in my room. It could have been Deidara, since he did smash in my tiny cabinet. And when I looked over in that corner, sure enough, glass littered the carpet below it and in it. Several figurines I had since I was young and believed in faeries were knocked over, and I glared at the spot where my missing Naruto volume one was; the other two were next to the slim, empty space.

Sighing, I collapsed on my bed entirely, grabbing my pillow and stuffing my head in it. I tried to ignore the scent that lingered on it; it was masculine. Musky clay and a tinge of ash and soot.

Yup. Deidara. When they leave I'd have to remember to burn everything they ever touched. Still, it made my skin crawl that the fictional character Deidara had actually slept in my bed! That sounded wrong. It was bad enough that he was real.

As I curled up on my bed, my mind kept wondering to what they were talking about. Things had gone differently in their world, to what Masashi Kishimoto had done. But they were real, apparently. Now they were probably discussing what they should do, and where to start.

It was an upsetting realisation to be met with then. They couldn't really start without me. I had said that they wouldn't fit in, and that I knew this world. Plenty of the Akatsuki were smart enough to realise what that meant, and that was probably the only reason why I wasn't dead yet—and why they let me run to my room. They were probably discussing what to do if I said no. I didn't doubt Sasori would wish for my death.

I hadn't actually said 'no', I realised. I hinted it, pretty much outright yelled it, but it wasn't a firm 'no'. Pein must have picked up on that.

And then overconfidence asked me: are they scared? Instantly I dismissed the thought. What would they have to be scared about? They were ninja.

I'd be scared though—I mean, besides now. Being in a different world where you were meant to be fictional, faced with different rules and laws and physics... it had to be intimidating. And it sorta made me wonder if they truly needed my help. Asking for help would the least thing they'd admit, unless it was offered, discreetly, first, of course.

No. I didn't want to help them. They were murderers. There was absolutely no way I'd help them. They were smart. They could find their own way in the world—did I just contradict myself?

At some point, while I mentally argued with myself and cried, I must have fallen asleep.

* * *

When I woke up it was silent, and the sun was still shining through the windows. Glancing at the digital clock, it said it was early afternoon. Groaning, I ran a hand through my greasy hair and tiredly scoped my room. Nothing was out of place since I was last awake, except I did notice that the door was open, when I knew I had locked it.

My heart pounded. Did they do anything? What did they want? Did they booby trap me? I frantically searched my body for anything that looked like Deidara's bombs, but quickly dropped the thought. Pein seemed reasonable—I can't believe I admitted that. I doubted he would have me killed, without me being 'prepared'.

Wiping the sleep from my eyes, I sat up and looked at the calendar. Getting up, I stroke out Saturday and stared at Sunday. I had school on Monday.

Oh bugger.

I didn't know what to do. I knew the murderous men (+ woman) downstairs were confused, and had to be a little interested. I imagined they were confused at least, even if they were not. It made me feel a little better, made me see them a little more like humans.

I sat down where I was and thought some more.

If I helped them, then they'd leave sooner. I'd get back to my life sooner, and get to what I wanted to do in the future, and never again would I have to see their ugly mugs again—maybe not... ugly... Stupid Faye.

I shook my head.

The point was, I didn't need to befriend them. If I walked downstairs and set up some sort of deal with Pein—I shivered—hopefully he'd adhere to the rules. But what sort of deal should I make?

No killing. No maiming. No stealing. No blowing up. No using jutsu or chakra—at all. The idea was to blend in—though it was going to be difficult considering Alice Springs was a sort of close town. Now the problem was thinking of where to start...

I sat up abruptly, then scrambled to my feet. I wasn't going to help them. And so I turned towards the door and opened it, trudging down the corridor and stairs until I was at the kitchen archway. Then, I paused. I could hear soft murmurs, with Fletcher yipping in his own input for some reason. I was suddenly nervous.

What's the worse they could do?

Oh right. Kill me.

I inhaled deeply, hearing some clinking of what I assumed to be cutlery—obviously they had found their way around my kitchen. I dreaded to hear what they'd say when I'd tell them to 'get out'. It could very well give me that early death ticket. But I didn't want them here. I wanted them gone so I could live my life as well as I could without the aid of parents—speaking of which, where were their bodies?

I looked around the corner and there the Akatsuki were. Five of them took up the chairs at the tiny table, with the rest left leaning against the other counters around the small kitchen. They all looked haggard, like they had suddenly aged fifty years in the last few hours. It was weird.

Each had something in their hands.

Itachi was fiddling with a massive orange at the table and Kisame was beside him, distracting himself by peeling open a banana. I could see a steadily growing pile of yellow skins next to him, while on the other was a row of white fruit. Hidan was opposite Kisame and eating one of the peeled bananas, scowling to himself and muttering. Sasori was next to the Jashin worshipper, staring blankly at his hands and at the filled cereal bowl in front of him.

I was impressed. He had gotten himself some food. And, yet again, I wondered why, if he was a puppet. Was he human now? He appeared indecisive as he chewed on what looked to be Fruit Loops; he occasionally twirled his spoon in a hand and grimaced, probably at the sweetness. Tobi had poured out a small pile of the cereal onto the table—the package was right beside him—and he was sorting them into groups by colour.

Deidara was sitting on a counter, tossing a kitchen knife, with Pein next to him, sipping at a glass of milk. Konan was opposite him, and was talking in soft voices. All of them were still wearing their ninja clothes, except Sasori had left his cloak on the couch.

I glanced over at it, only to be met with a purple chest. I meeped, feeling my hair rise on my arms. Kakuzu. I didn't realise he wasn't there with the rest. His green and red eyes leered down at me from his massive height, and I felt myself shrink against the wall.

"It's your home," he said, his voice deep like a base. "Come in."

And then he brushed passed me and I released a shaky breath, a hand over my heart. I turned back to peer into the kitchen, and each of them were staring at me now. I yelped and practically jumped a mile when I saw Zetsu behind the glass, sliding door on the other side, his yellow eyes peering at me through the shadows of his pincers.

I grabbed my face and closed my eyes, remembering that face clearly when he killed my Mum. Blood was smeared around his lips then, and he had a slight smile that screamed psycho.

For those few, brief seconds before I saw him, I was actually considering helping them but now...

I opened my eyes. They were still staring at me, paused in what they were doing before. I had to ask. Now. My throat felt thick. "Zetsu ate my parents... didn't he?"

Pein sighed, running a hand through his orange hair and resting his milk on the counter. "Yes." I felt like throwing up again.

"Why the fuck it matters?" Hidan brusquely said. I glared, and Kakuzu whacked him over the head. "Oh, shit! What the fuck did I do? We could always find some other chick and force her to tell us everything! Or better yet, do everything ourselves!"

"You know exactly why she's alive," Kakuzu interrupted. "And staying alive."

Oh good. I wasn't going to die.

"But if she doesn't do what we want her to do, Leader said that she'd die anyway."

The money-lover man hit the Jashin worshipper even harder, withdrawing several loud curses. I knew it was too good to be true. So, in other words, I was being black-mailed into helping them, and I was very fond of living.

Looking at them though, even if they did appear lost and uncomfortable and very much out of place, I knew they were still criminals.

"If I help—"

"Don't say 'help', you sheep," Hidan snapped.

I couldn't be bothered dealing with him. "The sooner you leave?"

Pein nodded. "Pray what you know about your own world can help you, because only Kami will help you now."

"Pray to Jashin, wench."

"I have my own religious belief," I stated hotly. "I'm not happy about this," I said before the rude man could intervene. "I mean, you killed my parents and-and—God! Helping you is the last thing on my mind. But I want you to leave, and if the only way you'd leave, is if I help in any way I mortally can, then I will, because you do _not_ belong here."

Pein nodded in agreement.

I held up a finger. I felt safer now, knowing that they were not going to kill me outright, that I was necessary. "Now. Some rules."

Some of them groaned, probably dreading those few words.

"This world is different from yours. There's no more killing. No maiming. No blowing things up. No use of jutsu or chakra—"

This caused an uproar.

"That's bullshit!"

"Why not?"

"Won't we need it for getting home?"

"This is nuts!"

"Quiet."

And they all fell silent. Hidan, Deidara and Sasori slowly lowered themselves back into their seats and Pein glared at me.

"Chances are the trip home will require use of chakra and jutsu."

I nodded slowly. I had forgotten that. "Alright. Only then, and for practices, you can use it."

"We'll get rusty," Kisame muttered.

"Then get rusty!" I screamed right back. I had had enough of them already, and who knew how long I'd still be stuck with them. I had school to get t—oh shit, school! "Uh..."

Nuts.


	4. In A Pickle

_Thanks for the alerts and favourites! I feel better getting just one review, so thanks to HidaKakuFangirl for providing me with one. :) I'm having more fun writing this story than my others, so I don't mind too much about the lack of reviews, either. :D_

_I'm having a lot of trouble picking a summary which shows the plot of the story, so a warning that it might be changing until I'm happy with it. Sorry.  
_

_Warnings? Just like I mentioned last chapter, swearing. Some lesbian hints, as well. You'll know what I mean. _

_Enjoy.

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_

—**CHAPTER FOUR—**  
_In A Pickle

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_

I thought myself a fool.

If it was any other teenager who had to attend school, they most likely would have jumped at the chance to stay home, with criminals or not. But, me, well... I wanted to go to school, and not just because I wanted to get as far away from them as possible, but because I seriously wanted to learn.

I had a goal to be a massage therapist, and at the time, my parents had offered to support me so that I could study at a University somewhere else when I finally graduated. I decided to stick to my goal, putting aside the fact that my parents were no longer with me.

The Akatsuki were furious as it was when I sprung the rules on them, but for the rest of the night I had received glares that would have set me on fire if they had been allowed to hurt me. It was because after I informed Pein that I had to attend school, their anger intensified, which I honestly couldn't understand at the time.

I found out soon after that they feared I'd run off and tattle tale on them. The thought hadn't occurred to mind, to be frank. And I had to once again remind them—while also shuddering underneath the intense glower Hidan was sending me—that no one would believe me anyway. I had half expected to cry but I found my eyes clear of tears or any signs of it.

The conversation with Pein next was... something I couldn't remember. The only thing I could recall was the outcome; that, yes, I could go to school, but I had to come straight home afterwards. For Pete's sake, he was acting like my...

The event still scarred me, somehow. We still spoke before the rest of the cohort, and I did manage to keep conscious but... maybe that was it. I was able to force myself to keep awake as I spoke, that afterwards all my body really wanted to remember from the experience was the fact that I was allowed to return. It was stupid, really, having to ask for permission.

He didn't seem thrilled, either.

But that wasn't why I thought myself a fool. It was because I was stupid enough to actually say 'yes'. I lamented my decision every minute of every hour afterwards; while I sat and listened to Pein giving out orders and room placements, as I almost puppet-like told them that food here was different, while I was forced to cook dinner with Zetsu practically breathing down my neck as I sizzled the red meat, and finally when I dragged myself to the bathroom to brush my teeth and then be pushed out by Hidan who wanted the bloody mirror.

It was odd.

I found no enjoyment, whatsoever, in walking down the corridor and passing a fictional character throughout the day. I found no enjoyment in watching Tobi play with Fletcher (who was off limits to anybody to kill), and some of the members wandering about the house, testing things they didn't recognise during the day. I certainly felt no enjoyment when I entered my bedroom later that night, ready to go to bed and fervently praying that everything I experienced that day was just a horrid nightmare, only to see a certain blond Akatsuki member lounging on my bed, reading through my diary.

My face went red with anger, my hand gripping the golden handle so tightly that my nails scratched across the paint.

"What-what-what—what?" I stuttered. I felt my toes curl into the carpet in aggravation as he peered over my blue diary that was littered with gold and silver stars and raised an eyebrow at me.

"'W-what-what,'" he teased, rolling his eyes. "Kami, you're pathetic." And he went back to reading.

"Get out of my bed!" I screamed. When he didn't move, I grabbed Jubjub, my white unicorn teddy-bear, and chucked it at him. He blocked with my diary. "Get out! Get out! Get out of my room!"

"Look, you stupid bimbo," he growled, his blond eyebrows narrowed dangerously inwards. I froze, panic leaping up to my throat. "This is my room now, you got that?"

I scowled. "Over my dead body!"

We paused.

"In time," he seethed. I grew irritated, even more so.

"Just leave!"

"No."

"Get out, or I'll—I'll—"

"You'll what?" He leaned forward, his teeth bared. "You'll run away to Leader? You're too much of a coward to do even that, hmm."

"Arghh! I hate you!"

"The feeling is more than mutual!"

"Get out!" I shrilled, leaping forward and grabbing my diary from his grasp and throwing it away. I lurched for his wrists, but he quickly redirected my hands as he tried to push me off of him.

In the back of my mind, I wondered why he wasn't just adding chakra to his limbs to get rid of me, but in the flurry, I didn't think on it. All I wanted was for him to get out, so I continued to try and catch his arms so I could pull him off. Eventually I managed to grab one of his hands until his palm-mouth bit me. I yelped, feeling the blood seep out. I jumped back from the bed, breathing heavily.

"It's no wonder you fucking die!" I screamed.

There was a tense silence as my words died down, but I feared it was for two different reasons. Earlier that day, it was noted that what I knew of them could very easily occur still, but just at a different time. This stopped him to silence. But for me, I paused for a breath.

"You fight like a girl," I whispered.

I could see the effects of my sentences as his surprised, perhaps even sad, expression, morphed to anger. My only warning was the creaking of my bed before I was pushed against the wall, blue eyes flashing angrily above me as I gasped for air. There was a loud bang right next to my ear, and I glanced that way to see his fist flat against the plastered wall.

"You think you can just scream out how we're going to die? You think that, just because you know, you can spill all our secrets? What if I didn't want to know, hmm? You're not even a ninja! So don't even speak as though you're on par!" he yelled, his chest heaving to herd all the air to his lungs.

"What the hell is going on?"

Neither of us spoke. Both of us were breathing heavily, trying to get oxygen back to our brains so that we could think properly. I was vaguely aware of my dropped bottom lip as I stared into his angry, blue eyes, and as I shivered. His blond hair acted almost like a curtain as he towered over me, his arms just a little above either side my head.

Deidara was suddenly being pulled back and I released a shuddering breath as I stared at my bleeding hand. I bit my bottom lip, feeling goose bumps pop up all over my skin. He was so scary.

"What the hell were you doing, Deidara?" someone said.

"Nothing. I was doing nothing."

I could see him struggling to get out of the member restraining him, and I could definitely feel when he was glaring at me.

"That didn't look like it to me. You could have hurt her."

"He already did," another said.

A blue hand suddenly appeared in my view and pulled out my hand from my lap. I flinched, glancing up at the person, noticing it to be Kisame, before I inspected my hand. Deidara's bite mark was easily seen passed the running blood, as the punctures were a darker shade of red. Without waiting, he grabbed the end of my shirt and made to tear it.

"No. No," I protested, but he had already torn it and was busy dabbing up the blood.

"Leader isn't going to be happy," the other said. I recognised the voice to be Kakuzu's.

Deidara growled. "It was a petty bite wound, not a blown up arm."

"He said for her to not be wounded," Kisame reminded.

"Well, obviously that rule is getting to her head, hmm."

He was right. I had, for that moment, let my special position get to me.

"He's coming."

"And? I'm not afraid, hmm."

I heard Pein stop at the door, and I guessed that Konan was probably behind him. If there was anybody else, I wouldn't know. I was too scared to look up. Had I already pushed too far by pissing off one of their members?

Their voices were indiscernible, a smoky haze that made it impossible for me to catch what they were saying. I saw one of them approach me in my peripheral vision, their black nails standing out against their white skin and light blue carpet.

"Do you have anything for the wound?" It was Pein.

I numbly nodded.

"Dress it. Konan."

I slowly lifted myself off of the floor and staggered out the door. Konan followed behind me as I made my way further down the hallway, opposite direction to the stairs, and turned into the single bathroom. I switched the light on and paused at the mess.

The shower mat was still on the floor, soaked through. Two of the three towels that were usually hung up were now on the floor in a heap, also wet. And even though I was normally inclined to keep things clean, the sudden fact that I had to share the same bathroom with nine men unnerved me completely.

I was a seventeen year old girl. Single. Only two past boyfriends. And, admittedly, still a virgin. The thought of them even trying something was laughable though, as I knew they wouldn't commit anything of the sexual kind—or was my mind just saying that to reassure me? Was it beneath them to try?

Yes. Yes, it was.

They were murderers—if one can call it that considering all ninja would be murderers in that case—not rapists.

Still, the idea scared me.

Konan nudged me and I approached the sink, opening the window cupboard above it and pulling out some alcohol and cotton buds, then a coil of bandages. She gestured for me to sit on the edge of the bath and I did, clumsily holding everything in my hands since one of them was bleeding. I silently set to work with Konan helping me.

"We could hear everything being said downstairs," the only Akatsuki female said after a moment's silence. "Before, we had forgotten about where'd you sleep, as your house has so little but, the worst would be that you and Deidara would have to share the room."

I started at that, eyes wide. "I can't stand him. Please, someone else. Where are they all sleeping? I wasn't listening, before," I admitted.

Her lips pursed. "Myself and Pein are in your parents' bedroom—" I winced, "—Itachi, Kisame and Zetsu in the spare."

"Zetsu?" I interrupted.

An amused smile stretched across her lips. "Because he is a plant and spends much of his time in the ground, you'd assume he slept, say, in the flowerbed?"

"Yes," I said, blushing.

Then her face went blank. "Normally, he might. But, in our current situation..."

I frowned. "Current... situation?"

"That's classified."

"Has it got anything to do with why Sasori is human?" I asked.

"Ahh, so you noticed."

"I could feel his breath against my ear and his hands gripping my arms for who knows how long. He ate some of my Fruit Loops as well. How could I not notice?"

A grim smile matched her emotionless eyes. "You said... that we are an anomaly, that people like us don't exist in your own world." I nodded. "Then how could Sasori, a puppet, we learned, exist in a world such as this?"

I think I knew this was the case, but to hear it from her lips just made it seem so much more real. No doubt the former puppet master was pissed that he was now like this, but how did this affect the others? Chakra doesn't exist in this world either, at least not in the substance that they have circulating around their body.

I exhaled almost silently. "Zetsu..."

She nodded grimly. "It seems you have it figured, and quite fast too. Maybe the other members underestimate you." I almost flushed at the compliment. Konan sighed. "Barely a day here, and already the physics of this world is dampening our powers."

Hope fluttered in my chest. "H-How long...?"

Her blue eyes met my green ones. "Who knows? We would have thought that we'd lose everything we can do over a matter of time, but the knowledge that Sasori is human right now, and that Zetsu is currently getting affected as well, Pein and myself are a little... uncertain."

"And..." I mouthed 'Tobi' and flinched when her eyes narrowed.

"We'll have to get used to that," she remarked, frowning. She changed the subject. "Deidara had every reason to get angry. I do not know how he's portrayed to the fans of this world, considering I do know that a fans perception often differs from the real deal, but he is arrogant, and believe it or not, a temperamental child at heart."

Curiosity flooded me, as well as a sip of guilt. The fact that she could understand that about him when they probably hardly ever interacted, then again, Masashi could be wrong, was interesting. I wondered why.

"Be careful what you say," Konan reminded. "Some of us... may not always follow Pein's orders."

Hidan sprung to mind instantly. Sasori and Deidara mingled in the background, along with Zetsu and his hungry grin. I had a thought.

"If... something is happening to Zetsu, would he still eat... humans?" I whispered, feeling my chest clench.

"Are cannibals allowed here?"

My throat tightened. "Some people are, but... it's not exactly normal..."

"Then yes. He may very well still have the appetite for human flesh." She said it simply, like she was talking about the weather.

I swallowed with difficulty. "What sort of changes are you expecting of... him?"

"Why? What are you?"

"Are those... plant things a part of him?" I asked slowly.

"Whether they are or not, doesn't matter, does it?" Konan responded.

I fell silent, staring at my bandaged hand. The bite stung a little, thanks to the alcohol, but it wasn't too bad. I reached over and tossed the bloody strip of my shirt into the bin in the bathroom. I sighed as I grabbed the mat and wrung it out over the bath before tossing it over the top pole.

"Men," I muttered. Konan managed a smile, and I heard her put away the towels on the floor in their rightful place. "Am I supposed to be some maid?"

"Technically, you are the master of the house and we are merely guests," she replied. "You are no maid, but as what is depicted of the master, you are meant to satisfy your guests by fulfilling their needs." She peered over her shoulder. "Within reason, of course."

"But, who knows how long you'll be staying here," I protested. "Are you really my guests then?"

"We do not live here—"

"You do now." I was surprised how much it hurt me to say that.

Konan paused, her lips parted as she stared at me. "What's your name again?"

"Faye. Faye Ella Gomez."

"Ella?"

"Middle name."

"You have middle names?" she asked slowly, as though digesting the thought. "What's the purpose of that?"

I shrugged as I grabbed the towel which was already in the holder and folding it up properly, putting it back. "I dunno."

"Faye. When you have a friend slumbering at your house, they are your guest. When you have a relative stay over, they are your guest. Are we not the same?"

I felt my face go sour. "You are neither. And you killed my parents to find a place to stay in."

"Self-defence."

"What?" I whirled around and glowered at her.

"Self-defence," she repeated, and I watched as her brow lowered. "Of a different sort."

"You're criminals! You don't hesitate to kill! How was that self-defence?"

"We are in a different world," the blue-haired woman said simply. "We'd do anything to stay alive."

"Only you realised too late that the inhabitants of this world are just as weak as the civilians in yours. Does that make you feel better or worse about the situation?"

"Neither. And perhaps both."

"What?"

"Killing your parents, Faye, opened up a door to you. If we had not killed them, there was the chance that we would not be here now, but instead left walking about your world like helpless lambs. We might've killed more, so much more confused about what's going on. In that case, perhaps you should be glad that it was you we landed with, because you know us and are therefore able to prevent us from harming others of this world.

"Two lives for the price of... how many? Millions?"

I deflated, conceding to her point. The only cost to save the rest of world—as stupid as that sounded—was my parent's lives and my happiness. The subject of world population was always a tricky one for me during Geography. Normally I was incessantly firm with my beliefs, but I had no idea what I believed concerning the rest of the planet.

"My Mum was pregnant," I stated, but Konan didn't answer.

* * *

I got my room back, but it wasn't solely mine any longer. Sasori and Deidara was to sleep on the floor on two mattresses that was in the spare room. It was difficult getting to sleep as I stared at my wall. My mind was whirring, and I could hear the both of them breathing; Sasori a little louder, as though he was unused to oxygen and was trying to grab as much as he could to make up for the time he hadn't needed it.

I couldn't get to sleep knowing I had two criminals barely a foot from me. I couldn't get to sleep knowing that they were meant to be fictional characters. It was just too weird, and I was way too wired.

So I lay there in the darkness, staring at my wall, my hands under my pillow as I listened. I hoped Fletcher was fine, asleep wherever Tobi was—downstairs, I think. He had to go back to his owner's tomorrow. I hoped school would be fine as well. The thought of walking around to my usual classes, laughing with my friends, eating lunch outside in the sunshine, while knowing that there were ten criminals waiting at home made me feel sick. I wondered if Pein was going to back against his word.

And somehow I managed to drift to sleep.

* * *

_Bzzzt. Bzzzt. Bzzzt._

I groggily reached over and tapped the 'sleep' button. Silence was rewarded. At least until...

"What the hell was that?" someone grumbled.

"Alarm," I mumbled in return. I stretched for a minute. Then I froze, snapping my eyes open and turning over in bed, taking in the sight of two sleeping Akatsuki members—well, one was half asleep. My heart pounded as my brain scrambled to collect my thoughts, my memories. But then my body went calm when I completely soaked in what I saw.

They looked so... at peace. Sasori was curled up a little, hugging his pillow like a child. Deidara was stretched out, the sheets strewn everywhere, and in one of his spread out hands there was one of my toys clutched in his fingers. I smiled to myself, until I realised that the mouth on that hand was chewing on the leg.

I was half tempted to take Nero away from him but figured better when I recalled last night. Deidara was furious at me, and waking him up entirely wouldn't serve to help my situation. It was just luck that he had conked out the night before when I decided to go to bed. Besides, when I glanced at the clock, I realised it was seven am.

Silently, I crept out of bed and made sure to avoid standing on one of them. I felt around for my uniform which I kept on a chair by the door, beside my wardrobe, and stole my way to the bathroom. I hoped that none of them were awake. At first I thought they'd be up way earlier than this, but given what has happened to them, and that they were probably more accustomed to Japan's time, their bodies were probably like dead weight.

For a moment I was surprised that Sasori was even asleep.

I made my way to the kitchen once I had changed and dropped my night clothes in my room. I was slightly surprised to see someone there already, head bowed over a large book with his black hair curtaining his face. I was unsure how to approach Itachi Uchiha, so I did it normally but slowly. He looked up when I was at the table.

"Hungry?" I asked, uncertain. It sounded awkward.

"I'm not sure," he responded. I shuffled awkwardly on the spot when he ran his eyes over me. "You're uniform?"

I nodded my answer before heading to the cupboard with the cereal. I was about to pull out the Fruit Loops when I recalled Tobi handling them the other day, so I put them back and instead went for the bread.

"Stomach full of butterflies?" How stupid of me to try and make conversation. He looked absorbed in his book—I peered at the contents of it when I passed by; it was the Atlas.

"Why would I have butterflies?"

I paused, wondering if he took my comment literally or not, but I shook my head. Itachi was no idiot, stupid.

I started to make toast, getting some orange juice ready and putting it on the table in the mean time. "New world?" I added, hopefully. "Time difference?"

He chewed on the inside of his cheek in thought. "Maybe."

The toast popped, and the rest of the time was silent as I ate and he read, sitting at opposite ends of the table.

* * *

"Must you go to school?" Kakuzu asked.

I whirled around to see him leaning against the wall by the kitchen. Between having breakfast and gathering everything else (and brushing my teeth and fixing up my hair) most of Akatsuki was already up and lounging about the house, picking at the cupboards for food. I had briefly taught them the simplicity of making toast as I made my way to the door when Kakuzu asked me his question.

"It's a waste of money," he added.

"Yes! Yes, I do!" I finally said. "School is important! I am going there to learn, to survive, to get where I want to in my life when you guys are gone! You and your merry gang can stay here and plot, but you will not follow me and take me out of my school! I want to see my friends and I want to learn and I just totally should shut up now and so I will because I am rambling and have probably made you really... really angry with me now..." I deflated by the end of my rant and crossed my arms slightly nervously as I breathed.

Most of the Akatsuki were staring at me like was a pathetic idiot, while some select members were glaring at me for even yelling at them. I coughed and tucked a strand of hair behind my ear.

"It was a simple question," Kakuzu frowned.

"Um, sorry. Just... don't come, okay? You will do fine here. You don't need me. Just don't leave the house. I need to see people, otherwise they'll wonder where I am and I should just shut up. Oh, and let Fletcher out. He isn't mine."

One of them sniggered but I was already storming out of the house and locking it, slinging my bag over my shoulders. School was going to be a breath of fresh air.

* * *

It was, actually; a breath of fresh air, I mean.

It was nice to arrive at school just before the bell and be met with my group of friends. Charlie had squealed when she saw me and ran over to me with her arms out, ready for a hug, with a huge smile on her face. Her short, hay-blonde hair, that levelled at her chin and was kept off her face thanks to her widow's peak, danced around her throat as she skipped.

"Oh wow! Faye! It's so good to see you!" She enveloped me in a big embrace. "Hmm! I love hugging you!"

"Hey," Pappy protested.

Charlie spun on her heel in a heartbeat. "Nothing's better than you, honey." And she skipped over there and gave her girlfriend a peck on the cheek, her blue eyes sparkling.

Behind her, Callum—my aborigine friend—was making kissing expressions until Jordan smacked the back of his head. I grinned when I approached them and gave the marine-like teenager a hug. My arms could barely fit around his chest but it was nice, like hugging a giant dog. It felt good to have these positive feelings flood me. It was like I had never felt happiness before, or for a very long time.

They were, in every way, a breath of fresh air, and it just made me realise how much I craved their company over the long, gruelling weekend. For a second, I wished they had been there with me.

I hadn't realised I had buried my face into Jordan's chest until I heard Callum's loud exclamation.

"Aww, group hug!" He suddenly embraced me from behind so that I was the filler of a hug sandwich.

"Oh," Pappy sighed, smiling serenely and twirling a rusty-red lock around a finger. "How sweet. The middle is the best part," she told us matter-of-factly.

Jordan chuckled, his laugh a little gruff and vibrate-like against my cheek. "I'm partial to crusts. I like crusts. Especially pizza crusts."

"Okay," I giggled—it sounded slightly forced to me. "We're having pizza for dinner next time we go out."

"Oh!" Charlie cheered, clapping her hands. "Excellent."

"Hmm," Callum moaned. "I'm hungry now. May I eat you?" he whispered in my ear and made to bite my shoulder when he suddenly caught Paprika's concerned expression. I was giggling at the time, but felt my breath hitched when I saw the red-head tilt her head at me.

"Pappy, honey?" Charlie soothed, grazing her fingers across the back of her girlfriend's hand that was in her grasp. "What's wrong?"

Paprika was observant. She intended to become a counsellor, because she was just that good at understanding people's facial expressions, their thoughts and feelings, without them even opening their mouths to speak. I wondered why she looked so worried, and realised, belatedly, that she was gesturing to my bandaged hand wrapped around Jordan's neck.

"What did you do, Faye?" she asked me, her orange eyes staring at me.

I shoved Callum away from me and stepped back from Jordan, holding my hand to my chest and biting my lip. Now all of them were looking at me in confusion.

"It's nothing," I protested. It wasn't a lie. It seriously wasn't much of anything. "I was bitten, that's all."

Callum tossed his head back and laughed. "It had to be Fletcher. I knew that dog was evil!"

"Oh, hush," Pappy reprimanded, whacking his arm. "Fletcher is a beautiful dog. I cannot believe he'd bite you, Faye. I thought you were always nice to him."

I was glad that the band-aid I used this morning to redress it was one of the big square ones, as it covered the entire wound. If they ever saw the dentures... I didn't doubt they'd ask me questions. And I wasn't lying, technically.

"I am," I responded hastily, then chuckled nervously.

"Did you take his food again?" Callum asked. Charlie laughed, along with him who patted my back. "What did I tell you about taking a male dog's food?"

With that, he started to lead me towards the entrance of the school, the others following beside us as they grinned. The bell had gone not too long ago, but there was still plenty of time to get to Homeroom while escaping any trouble.

"That they'd bite you," I said, rolling my eyes, feeling my lips stretch into a tired smile.

"Comparing yourself to the mutt again, Cal?" Charlie beamed. She had a fear of dogs, but just a small one.

And the two started their petty squabble, jabbing at each other with half-meant insults, and laughing out loud. I joined them too, willing my mind to just forget what was waiting for me at home. To just forget how fast my life had spiralled to the dark abyss below, and how tightly chained I'd be to it. To just forget that, for the first time of my life, I would never come home to see my parent's greeting smiles when I'd walk through the front door.

For most of the day, it actually worked, but it seemed Pein didn't want to leave me in the momentary state of bliss.

It was at the beginning of lunch when the inevitable happened. I was leaving the building with a swarm of other students and Charlie glued to my arm—it's a habit of hers to always be touching somebody, friend or no—for lunch, planning to meet up with the other three at our usual special spot. Except, I stopped short on our way when I saw someone standing across the road, at least twenty metres from me, dressed in familiar ninja clothes and sporting black sunnies. He tried to complete the supposed 'cool' look by having his hands stuffed into his trackies.

Who else would sport the arrogant I-am-the-best-so-bow-down-to-me smirk on his face, and have his blond hair pulled into a high ponytail to get it off his neck? And who else would, as soon as they saw someone they knew, start waving like mad?

I knew, instantly, that he was doing it just to spite me. He hated me, and I hated him. And everything rushed back to me like a wave hitting my full-frontal—not that I ever had many opportunities to see the ocean but I could imagine.

If Deidara was here then they broke one of the rules—or rather, a preference—that I set down. If he was here, then Pein must have sent him. Or maybe he was just curious about my world, but I was under the impression that I was going to give them a debrief, of sorts, later on when things were ironed out. What annoyed me, though, was the surge of anger that collected in my chest at the sight of him, and the sudden tensing of my muscles.

Everything I was trying to ignore had just come back.

"Oh, you have an eye for men, Fifi," Charlie teased, running a finger up and down my shoulder. I gaped at her in horror but she just winked. "He's totes hot, but my Pappy is so much better. Just sayin'." She nudged me. "Go on, say hi. He seems to know you."

"The only place I want to know him is the second before I kill him," I growled venomously as I latched onto her elbow and stalked in our old direction. "He's a stalker. Don't talk to him. He has a horrible personality, a fetish for cheese, and an inescapable love for art that goes boom! Not to mention, he snores. Yeah. Really loudly. And he takes forever to brush his hair! I mean, look at his locks! Wouldn't you agree? And who would have too yellow hair like that?—and does he really think that the whole slouching-on-the-curb-with-my-hands-stuffed-into-my-pockets-plus-my-new-super-cool-sunnies-that-I-stole-from-Faye looks cool? No! It's stupid! It's idiotic! It's—"

"Faye, honey, you're nervous. You're rambling," Charlie told me and I went silent. She frowned, a dirty finger to her mouth as she twisted her lips up in concentration. "Did you say he was wearing your glasses? And you seem to know him quite well, too. I didn't realise my dear Fifi could be so hateful towards someone—besides Luke, of course."

My heart jumped to my throat. See? I tend to spill things so easily when in a rambling mood. And... I couldn't lie. Damn my friends.

"Y-Yeah, I sorta do know him." My anger was surmounting but the only obvious sign of it was through my gritting teeth.

"Uh huh. And if you think his whole too-long-a-thing-to-say-so-I-won't-say-it thing is totes uncool, then why does he have Hilary fawning over him with those usual googly eyes of hers?"

I dropped my jaw and frowned, glancing over my shoulder at Deidara who was, indeed, being flirted with Hilary and her two cronies—females of course. Hilary had a similar habit to Charlie, and that was to continually touch someone, but hers was different. Hers was smooshing her breasts against someone—or sometimes something (long story; caught her in the act unfortunately)—hoping to get a lift off or something.

She was pretty, I suppose, what with her black hair and tanned skin, but... yeah. Charlie, who was more in tune with the fascination of the female species, said she would have dated Hilary had the girl not had the attitude of an old cow. We didn't really hate the girl, per ce, as she did tend to have interesting tastes, and often they melded with our own. She was more of a pesty, annoying rival, of sorts.

"Aren't you going to save him?" Charlie asked.

I shook my head. "No. No. He can suffer." I was not going to forget everything they did so easily, and submitting him to the claws of the known bed-jumper somehow eased a little of my anger.

"Suffer, yes, maybe, but torture?" She clucked her tongue. "Even you ain't that horrible, honey."

I pretended to think. Quickly I realised that there had to be a reason for his presence, and no matter how much I wanted to avoid him, it was probably best to 'save' him; also to keep the pretence.

"Yeah, you're right. I torture with my witty words, not with the smooshing of boobies." I took two steps and thought better. "Oh, look! He doesn't even seem to care!"

Charlie raised an eyebrow, and peered around me. His hands were up in a defensive position but they happened to be badly placed over Hilary's breasts like he was warming them up in front of a fire. He had an awkward smile on his face and had taken one or two steps back but otherwise, he looked fine.

"See? Maybe he needs a little fun," I said as I spun around and grabbed her elbow before walking off. Charlie protested.

"Oh, come on. I wanna know who this sausage is."

I blushed; out of anger or embarrassment, I didn't know.

"I don't!"

The inevitable pictures of penises-now-sausages appeared. And then she dragged me over to him. I tried to resist, honestly, and I was close to bursting out with tears because of my strong dislike for him and what had happened. I wouldn't forget, ever, but I was willing to put aside my emotions as much as possible to get the Akatsuki out of my world. When they were gone, I vowed to myself that I would sit down in my room and cry my green eyes out, preferably surrounded with lots of ice cream and chocolate.

"No, please," I whispered to her when we breached the opposite side walk. "I really don't want to go over to him."

"I may not have the best perception of males, Faye, but dayum! Look at that thigh!" Charlie exclaimed, and I was torn between whether she meant it or was just saying it to tease me since I was so sensitive about it.

And just because she said it, I looked at his thigh, seeing it clench a little in his trackies when he took a step back and added weight to his leg. I blushed, pursing my lips and then biting them when he glanced in our direction. I struggled a bit more against Charlie when he grinned, his blue eyes glinting in mischievous.

I was going to kill him.


	5. Of Feelings And Words

_So, am I failing with Faye or not? I'd like feedback, please. :D And thanks for the favs and alerts. Will there be pairings? I don't know. I haven't planned for one, but it depends on how the story goes.  


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—**CHAPTER FIVE—**  
_Of Feelings And Words

* * *

_

"You-You low-life scum!" I screamed over my shoulder. "What did you think you were doing? How did you even find my school in the first place? Did you leave against Pein's orders, or was it his wish to have you show up at my school during lunch time and embarrass the fuck outta me?" I glared at him as I continued walking forward. It was after school now, and I was heading home. The Akatsuki bomber was a few paces behind me, his hands casually in his pockets as he followed.

"They are my school mates and friends, Deidara. The last thing I wanted them to know was that I was housing fictional criminals in my house which has lost two lives and gained another ten in the past two and a half days!

"Hilary is going to have my head and Charlie would never let me hear the end of it. You better be glad, young man, that she is planning to keep her lips sealed that I know someone as idiotic and boorish as a pig-headed man like you! I'm not even sure if I can trust her! She feels absolute guilt when she keeps secrets from Pappy, so I may very well find myself with my red-headed friend at my doorstep in the next few days, and if she even sees any of you, I will kill myself! Don't even comment on that!

"This is a nightmare! How could you be so inconsiderate? I only asked for you to stay inside the house! Oh no! I'm totally screwed!" I don't know when, but I had started shedding tears of utter frustration at some point. I was just so furious and embarrassed.

Honestly, it could have been worse, but the conversation still had been horrible and awkward. Hilary was glaring holes at me for apparently staking her prey without leaving my name, and Charlie was just confused and curious; unfortunately, her curiosity was hard to slake. I did seriously wonder if she'd keep it secret that I knew Deidara, and for a moment back then I panicked if she actually recognised him from the series.

She seemed oblivious, asking Deidara questions that were more fit for a potential boyfriend rather than a future corpse. And he answered them in stride, a smile on his face, not once saying that we were a couple but otherwise hinting it.

My hate for the man increased tenfold after the encounter, and I knew he had to have hated me just as much in return to ridicule me like that in front of quite judgemental friend/people. I could tell he enjoyed it. Every time I looked over my shoulder on the walk home afterwards, he had that same smirk on his face, like he had accomplished something and was glowing in the flames of achievement.

I wanted to rip his eyes out.

Seeing my house on the end was like a godsend. I started running, stopping briefly to grab the letters from the letterbox, and then unlocking the front door. I didn't care if Deidara followed. I didn't care if the Akatsuki wanted to talk to me.

I slid my bag from my shoulder and slammed it against the couch, letters scrunched in hand as I stalked passed Hidan (who had a finger up and his mouth open to talk), brushed by Kisame as he took a step back to avoid the full brunt, and stormed right up to my room. I revelled in how loud I slammed the door of my room. It was about all I could vent my anger on.

And then it spilled.

I ditched the bundle of letters against the floor and stamped on them, changing my tactics to kicking the two mattresses in my room. I grabbed my teddies and tossed them everywhere, tears of anger and sadness streaming down my cheeks as I growled and shouted. My hair got loose, flipping and turning as I kicked my furniture, ditched my pillow, almost pulled out the door of my wardrobe and scattered the belongings of my drawers over the floor and stamping on them.

It felt so good.

And at the end, I collapsed to the floor against my bed, burying my face into my hands as I cried, feeling the heat of sweat soak my body. I gripped my head as though I was about to lose it, and curled my toes, shifting my feet inwards. My whole body was tense as I sobbed, weaving my fingers into my scraggly, sweaty brown hair.

I half expected someone to come in, but no one did. Not yet anyway. And it felt like hours later, but was probably really only minutes, when I reached over to the letters and took a look at who it was sent to.

Mum and Dad.

The gaping chasm in my chest widened.

And then I saw the sender, and panic flew to my throat when I hastily tore it open and read it.

It was a bill.

I quickly surfed through the others, tearing them apart, ignoring the paper cuts, sniffling loudly, and they were all the same. All bills.

I was in deeper shit than I thought.

The anger that burned within me suddenly shifted towards my parents, for some reason. Snarling, distorting my face, I glared at the photo of them by my bed, behind my clock. It was their fault that I was like this. It was their fault for leaving me like this. I blamed them. I blamed them for everything.

And in my fit of rage, I reached over to grasp the frame, prepared to toss it across the room to match the mess of my bedroom, but a hand gripping my wrist suddenly stopped me.

"Never... blame your parents," someone said, and I snapped my head in their direction, meeting hard, but warm, eyes of brown. Sasori's face was still blank, but there was a rage of emotions in his eyes that I just simply didn't have the ability to identify what each one meant.

His words, though, probably spoke volume, but I didn't realise it. I blamed him too. I blamed all of the Akatsuki. So I kicked at his ankles and he swiftly lifted his foot and then pressed it firmly against my shin, restricting movement.

"I can do what I want," I snarled.

His grip tightened, but I hardly noticed it.

"Obviously not. You could have gone further, causing more injury to yourself, then where would we be?"

My jaw dropped, fat tears leaking from my eyes. "You think I care? News flash, puppet-boy, you and your gang were the ones who made my life a living hell. It was all your friends' fault that I was black-mailed into helping you. I honestly don't give a shit about you! I'm only doing this because I love living!"

"Speak like that to us for a short while longer and you'll be dead."

I shut my mouth. At first I was going to point out that I was needed, but he was completely serious. They would kill me. The only reason why they didn't go and find someone else was because everything was already right before them. I knew their situation, knew who they were, knew how popular they were, and had already condemned my life to servitude.

If there was anything or one to blame, it was fate, or destiny, or even God. I was not the most religious person ever, but fear festered in my chest when the thought struck that maybe he was punishing me.

"Hey, has the wench stopped throwing a temper tantrum?" an obnoxious voice called from the other side of the door.

I growled loudly, and someone on the other side laughed.

"Hidan, stop pestering her."

"Pestering her? She's the one with the fucking mood swings."

"As per natural a teenage girl."

There was a brief pause.

"Since when did you know anything about females, Kakuzu?" another person asked.

I tuned out their conversation and grabbed at Sasori's wrist, forcing him to let go. It was difficult, but he conceded.

"Are you going to be calm?" he queried. I met his eyes. They were still hard and raging.

I exhaled, feeling very hot even though it was a coolish day outside. My hands were bleeding from dozens of paper cuts, and my heart was pounding so hard against my ribcage that its beat rang in my ears. I relaxed, but only a little, leaning against my bed as I let go of the photo frame.

"So what's it like to be a human?" I countered.

He didn't look too happy about the question, but it was an innocent, curious one. His lips tightened and he stood, opening the door to be met with four other Akatsuki members; Kakuzu, Hidan, Kisame and Deidara. All four were peering into my room, each of their faces painted with a different expression.

Hidan was deeply amused by the state of it. Kisame was as well, though his brow was furrowed and he tilted his head a little more over Deidara's to try and get a better look. Kakuzu looked livid, probably thinking about the cost of it all, and Deidara, one of the people sleeping in my room, had his jaw hitting the floor.

"What the hell did you do to my room?" he cried, grabbing his locks.

Sasori and I scowled, but the red-head answered. "It's not your room, brat."

"I can't even see your beds," Hidan chuckled deviously, leaning against the frame of the door. "Oh, there they are. Under all those toys and torn paper."

"They're bills," I responded dryly. My mouth was parched.

At my words Kakuzu seemed to be releasing wafts of steam from his ears. "How much?" he asked.

I swallowed thickly through the tears and shrugged. "I dunno. Why do you think I lost it again?"

"You couldn't have lost it without breaking anything?" he demanded.

"No," I sobbed out. "I had to break something, and it's all my stuff, so it's my fault."

He snorted. "You bet it is. Clean it up. I can't stand to look at all the mess," he said as he turned and shoved away Kisame's arm that was reaching over his shoulder and leaning against the wall by the door. I only nodded.

"I ain't helping," Deidara scowled, disappearing too.

I didn't expect him to. I didn't expect any of them to.

"You're bleeding again," Kisame pointed out.

I stared at my hands again and sighed, shakily rising to my feet. It was all too much, but no matter the destruction to my skin or to my room, I had never felt better since this whole shebang started. And maybe, just maybe, I'd be able to sit down and talk things through a bit better with the Akatsuki.

"I'm hungry," Hidan said out of the blue. I glared at his cheesy grin.

Then again, maybe not.

* * *

When I headed downstairs, I was half expecting a complete mess, just like the bathroom had been. I found the smaller room icky, for some very... explicit reasons, and I mentally vowed that I'd buy myself a new tooth brush as well, and hide it somewhere in my room; also to find a new place to bathe. To me, that room was contaminated.

To my surprise, though, the living room was impeccable. Maybe Kakuzu was a bit of neat freak, as I had seen him whack Hidan's feet off the couch as he was walking past the couch to another desk with parchments littering the top. For a second I saw a ghost of my Dad sitting at that desk, rather than in the study, because I wanted his company as I did homework on the coffee table in front of the television. In a flash, the image was gone, just as Kakuzu was setting down some papers.

I turned into the kitchen, and only a few members were in there, the rest God knows where. Itachi, Pein and Konan were in discussion at the table, and Tobi was sitting on the end, drawing. They all looked up when I entered. I must have been a horrible sight. Even after the shower, my eyes still burned from the salty tears, and my cheeks still tingled.

I spoke first, before anyone of them had the chance. "Why was Deidara at my school?"

Pein ran a hand through his shaggy, orange hair as he looked away—his back was to me—releasing an almost inaudible sigh. "I told him to."

"Why?" I bit out. I must have been running out of fuel for rage, as instead I felt incredibly drained. Crying and screaming like I did before, certainly did take its toll. I felt as though I could drop dead right where I stood, but homework, my guests, and food gained control.

"Protection," he muttered. "I told him to stay out of sight, though. And he did not?"

I crossed my arms and sent him a half-meant glare. "No, he was busy flirting with a classmate during lunch. And if he had to make himself known, why was he wearing his ninja clothes?"

"We don't have any other clothes," Itachi answered.

"Oh." I didn't like the sound of that.

"I'm not sure why Deidara did what he did," Pein responded to my earlier question. His fingers were running over his piercings, I noticed, when I walked around the table. "You two did not exactly get off on the right foot."

"I haven't for any of you," I countered.

"Maybe he was lured out," Konan suggested.

"Just like every other hormonal boy his age, I suppose," I said dryly. I paused. "How old is he?"

Konan smiled and Pein raised his eyebrows in what I hoped was some amusement. The single female eyed me gently but sternly. "He's twenty. A year younger than Itachi."

I glanced at the Uchiha. "My mistake." He looked up to stare at me but I tore my eyes elsewhere.

Pein reclined in the wooden seat, which creaked loudly as he nestled his hands on his stomach. His ringed eyes watched me closely, and I looked away from him as well. He still scared me. They all did.

"We've received a brief run down about some things around here," he said. I stayed silent for him to go on. I didn't feel like doing much at all. "One: your neighbours must be deaf to not hear the noises you've made."

I gaped, but couldn't help but agree. "They're not exactly the nicest neighbours. Fletcher's owners, across the street, are, though. You did let him go, didn't you?"

At the other end of the table, Tobi moaned miserably as he dragged a pen across the paper. I took this as a yes.

"Two," Pein continued. "You're running out of food."

I tensed my jaw and sighed. That meant more money and more glares from Kakuzu. "I'm assuming Kakuzu has somehow managed to find all the records my... Dad... used to count his taxes and income balance and blah blah?" The leader nodded. "From the money left, I can try to buy more food but it won't be easy getting enough for eleven people without getting stared at."

"Clothes?" Konan added in.

I felt like hitting my head against the table. That was the last thing I wanted to hear. But, instead, I gripped my shirt tighter and ignored the stabs of pain.

"Is it necessary?" I asked.

"Unless..." Itachi started, "...you have a friend or relative you can borrow clothes from. Or if you'd like to have some of us walking around the house naked while our clothes are out to dry."

I blushed beet red at his words and he smirked an evil smirk; it was gone in an instant though.

"That-that-that depends on the m-money situation," I got out, my face still hot. The images of them walking about naked still hadn't left my mind, and now it was worse when I was reminded of Charlie's comment about sausages... so you can guess what was going through my mind right then.

"Three: Itachi has studied more of your world and Konan and I have taken a look at the only books you have concerning ours," Pein said. "We have an interest in Japan, and an even greater one when we found out that these books are drawn and published by a man from that very place."

I groaned. "Everything you're wanting to do requires so much money. And they aren't your only problems." I just remembered another one. They eyed me to continue. "Most of the money is in my... Mum and Dad's bank account. I have one of my own, sure, but that isn't where most of it lies. They have it." It was getting slightly easier to say their name, but at the same time, I felt guilt for being able to speak it. Their deaths were still too near.

Pein raised an eyebrow and I swear I heard the scratching of Kakuzu's pen in the other room suddenly halt. "Your point?"

"Bank, hello," I waved. "To get to the money without resistance, you have to hand in a slip with your signature and the account details. It is possible to use their cards but you'd have to either get their signature, or use a pin number, and I don't know what they are! I mean, I used to. They left hints around the house where I'd be able to find them if I ever needed the money, but they move it around a lot."

"You don't happen to be talking about this, do you?" Hidan grinned, waving a tiny pouch by the strings in his fingers. He was at the archway. I eyed the bag as it swung almost tauntingly.

"Where did you find that?" I asked.

"In the room Kakuzu, Tobi and me sleep in. Between the cushions." In other words, the living room.

I let disappointment wash over me. I was hoping we wouldn't have to use the details but it seemed we'd have to.

"Don't look so happy," Hidan taunted, throwing the pouch in the air and catching it.

"Hidan. Put it on the table," Pein ordered.

The Jashinist seemed to consider for a moment whether he wanted to or not, but in the end, succumbing to the ringed glare, he tossed it and it landed with a clank. Grumbling to himself, he left the kitchen, and I heard him sink into the couch again.

"Feet off!" I heard Kakuzu shout, followed by some mumbled curses by Hidan.

"So it seems money isn't going to be a huge deal," Pein said, fingers curling around the golden frayed rope of the pouch.

I tensed and glared. "It may be, depending on how long you plan to say. Don't forget, I'd need some of that money as well to survive after you leave. I can't exactly work, either, because you may just send one of your cronies to watch me and they'll spoil it for me like Deidara embarrassed me in front of my friend."

To my surprise, Pein nodded. "I know. There are some things we need, however. Information, to help us get started in working out a way home." By this point, Tobi's pile of drawings was growing larger, but his strokes were much slower as he listened.

"What would you need?" I asked. I was clueless.

The orange-haired man then dangled his pen in his fingers. "Has your world studied the science behind dimensions and the like?"

For a moment I started, wondering if back where they came from they had done the same thing. I chose not to let myself ponder.

"There are theories, I think. But it's hogwash." I paused. "Well, I thought it was, until you guys showed up. Where did you appear anyway?"

"Oooh!" Tobi's hand shot into the air. "Tobi! Tobi knows!" He didn't wait before he answered. "It was a small clearing a couple kilometres from here!"

Well, that helped. Alice Springs was surrounded by shrub land, but there were still clearings littered everywhere.

"There were some twisty trees and large bushes, too!"

I nodded. Now I knew where they were talking about. It wasn't much of a clearing but I knew the place. There were massive bushes that acted as some sort of barrier, with some of those 'twisty trees' on the other side. My friends and I had camped out there once or twice, because the bushes were so thick and big, no one from Alice Springs would be able to see the flames from the fire.

"Where would we find information for this sort of science?" Pein interrupted.

For the second, or perhaps even third, time since everything started, I looked Pein in the eye and tried to ignore the cold chill down my back. I knew exactly how he'd be able to get this sort of information, but showing him how to access it would lead to a lot more questions about the technology of this world.

I knew they had televisions and mobile phones, but from what I had seen, they were an older make. They probably knew that the thing in the living room was a TV, but whether they knew about the stereo, or DVD player, the consoles and computers, I did not know. Maybe, though, it'd get them off my back at the same time, as long as they didn't break anything.

Yes, informing them of some things about the house was probably necessary.

So, I guess it was time to break out my laptop.


	6. Inner Killings

_Thank you to those who have been adding this story to their alerts or favourites. Thanks, again, to the reviewers, both anonymous and not (special mention to Thirrin) for giving me confidence in my first OC. I appreciate it a lot. :D_

_As always, accepting feedback on OC development or any Akatsuki-OOC (which hopefully is sparse, if not, feedback!). Thank you! Don't be shy!  
_

* * *

—**CHAPTER SIX—**  
_Inner Killings_

* * *

It took me a while to scrounge up my laptop from the study. I think it's obvious why. Sasori had been walking passed me from the end of the hallway at the time—he came out of the storeroom down the end, which, I realised, could be turned into a bedroom—and I quickly asked, while keeping my head low, if he could find it. He had scowled at me and muttered something under his breath but entered the room anyway, returning with my laptop in his hands, a puzzled expression on his face.

He followed me from there to the kitchen, where I had just placed the technology on the table on the end opposite Tobi when music started bursting from the speakers of the stereo again. I heard some yelling over the booming lyrics, and some members had cupped their ears to the noise. I sprinted out into the living room and to the stereo, pressing the 'off' button, creating a familiar ringing silence.

"Stop. Pressing. That," Kakuzu pronounced clearly, growling at Hidan who was now on the floor, surprised at the sound blast.

"How was I supposed to fucking know it would be just as fucking loud as the other night?" he complained.

The money-lover bent over and grabbed Hidan by his necklace and yanked him off the floor. "That's why we wait for _her_ to show us, idiot."

"Well, she's taking her bloody time!" He scrambled to his feet and shoved Kakuzu away from him. He then turned to me and I flinched, hiding my hands and turning my back slightly to him. "And you!" He jabbed a finger. "It's your fault! You and your fucking girlyness."

I frowned in confusion, but he was already stalking upstairs to God knows where. As far as I knew, he, Kakuzu and Tobi slept downstairs, in the living room.

The brunette Akatsuki member groaned. "It's not your fault, girl. It's that time of the week," he explained.

I felt my brow raising and probably disappearing beneath my fringe at his choice of words. Of course I was given a bundle of images of Hidan going through a woman's menstrual cycle—and I, meanwhile, thanked God that I had several weeks to go still—which all looked hideously wrong.

Something gruff and coarse met my ears, and I sharpened my vision on Kakuzu who was chuckling.

"Not what you're thinking of, I'm sure," he said.

"You know?" I asked, surprised.

He made a noise of indignation at what I was suggesting. "The blockhead's 'time of the week' refers to his rituals."

The colour drained from my face. "He can't kill anybody!" I said very quickly.

"Yes," Kakuzu said slowly, his green eyes mere slits as he eyed me. "We already established that the other day, girl."

"I don't trust him," I said rapidly again.

"None of us do."

"Then how—" I was reminded of my conversation with Konan the night before. Every one of them was changing, and each change would have a significant impact on them. It was something they couldn't stop. For a wild moment, I feared what Hidan may be losing, but that wild thought remained pinned to my brain.

Immortality was impossible in this world... and five hearts?

My pulse and blood raced. What would that mean?

"Faye."

I gasped and jumped, hysterically staring at Konan by the kitchen archway, where the rest of the Akatsuki were—sans Hidan, Kakuzu and Zetsu—marvelling at the grey object I had Sasori collect. The single female gestured to the group and I nodded slowly, swerving around the masked man with green eyes and quickly sitting down at the end of the table; he followed.

"Thank Kami you silenced that monster," Deidara heaved, collapsing into a pulled out chair the same time as Sasori. The two partners glared at each over the shoulder, but I quickly diverted my attention to opening my laptop—the two of them bickered in the background.

"Agreed," Pein nodded. "Both of them."

I managed a weak smile. "It was a stereo," I explained, pressing the power button. Itachi watched closely. "It plays music from the radio."

They looked as though they were about to ask more but the screen suddenly showed Windows and they went quiet as they waited. I glanced at the analogue clock on the wall above the archway, and sagged into my seat when I saw it was only quarter to seven. I still had to make dinner, and do homework.

"Uh, you use the internet to find information that you're wanting," I explained, more to Itachi than the others, as I was under the impression he'd be doing most of the work. "Don't bother asking how the internet is possible, but it's basically a databank, where you can find any information you want regarding practically anything. Scientific reports may be harder to find, especially ones that have strict and proper evidence, and they often have you log into the webpage to access them.

"The internet isn't exactly safe either. You can accidentally pick up a virus or something, which can really stuff up the computer, maybe even deleting any files or making it just a pain to run. So be careful and wary with what you click."

I quickly showed them how to find websites with information, and each of them were towering over me to get a closer look. Once or twice they'd point at one of the links, and once I had to say I didn't like the look of it.

"Fairy," Tobi piped. I sent him a look of horror at what I assumed to be the nickname he bestowed upon me. He cocked his head to the side innocently, and I felt my stomach churn uncomfortably.

"Yes?"

"Are we allowed to look up stuff about where we are from too?" he asked. All eyes went to me and I went red under the attention, unconsciously shrinking into my seat.

"Well," I squeaked. "You can, but whether you're allowed..."

Pein nodded. "Fine. Nobody is allowed to access information regarding any of us or our... fanbase," he said bitterly. "Girl, are you able to put up a defence?"

"Yeah, I can. Sort of. I can create a password for when you load the computer, so you won't be able to get on unless you know it. I can't, however, create a 'defence' for webpages, so if it's already on then they can still get to it."

"Itachi. The laptop is yours," he said.

I glared. "It's mine. I paid eight hundred for it." I swear Kakuzu's eyes bulged.

When Pein turned to match my gaze I instantly looked away. "Out of the Akatsuki, the laptop is Itachi's," he repeated. I nodded my agreement. I trusted Itachi more with my laptop, and he seemed responsible to only use it for useful information.

Something squiggled within me, and I realised it was excitement. This was the first step to getting them out of here. Maybe they'd only be here for a month, max.

I stood, shifting the laptop in Itachi's direction and sauntered over to the fridge. Over my shoulder, I asked, "Can any of you cook?"

I received relative silence and I banged my head against the freezer. Tobi exclaimed behind me that I was getting beaten up by an inanimate object. Deidara scowled—I could hear it. Sighing dramatically, I pulled out some chicken breast and set to work. They'd like it whether they wanted to or not. I had barely begun when I realised it would be the first meal I had made willingly.

They had all dispersed. Itachi and I were the only ones in the kitchen, and I could just hear the pitter patter of the keyboard as he typed. He seemed to be typing quite fast, so I wondered what he was doing. Maybe he had discovered Word and was making notes.

Neither of us talked.

The monotony, though, broke when the entire house heard someone yell, "Zetsu! What the fuck happened to you?" I had jolted and ran to the screen door, peering out slightly to see Hidan with his head out of the window, his sight set on something in the backyard. I followed, and there, at the back, was the black and white man, lying face first on the ground, his two pincers wilting beside him. They weren't attached.

The sliding door I was next to suddenly slid open and I jumped back, watching Pein, Konan and Sasori approaching him swiftly; Tobi was too, crying hysterically in worry, his arms waving. I watched as the three picked Zetsu up and started walking back into the house. They were at the door when Itachi flattened himself against the cupboards opposite me, to let them in. His black, emotionless eyes were narrowed at me, and it unnerved me so much I looked away.

I didn't follow as they moved Zetsu to the couch. He looked a little strange without his two pincers attached to him now. I stayed in the kitchen, using the dinner as an excuse. All the while, I felt Itachi watching.

"Get some water!" Pein ordered. I went to grab a bowl and pour some water into it when Kakuzu appeared beside me. I jumped, dropping it and hearing it smash against the floor. The masked man scowled, got a new one, filled it and was off.

I clutched the sink tightly as I listened. My heart was pounding for some reason, and I didn't understand why.

"You did that on purpose," came a smooth voice from behind. I peered to see Itachi still staring at me, his arms crossed with his ponytail draped over his shoulder. I felt sweat bead down my face. "Didn't you?"

"I don't know what you're talking about," I said somewhat hurriedly, though I knew I was innocent. I was trying to help, wasn't I? Why was he seemingly suggesting that I tried to prolong the deliverance of water by breaking the bowl?

"Zetsu killed your Mother, and ate both your parents," he stated. My body went cold. "You mean to say you felt no desire to see him in more pain for what he did?"

My body tensed, and I bent down to start herding the broken pieces of clay into my hand—very carefully. Coldly, I responded, "I wish every pain on all of you."

"That's what I thought."

"You were trying to deny it?"

He didn't answer. I glanced over my shoulder, and he was gone. I was left alone in the kitchen to finish off dinner.

* * *

I can't say how weird it was to eat dinner with Akatsuki. Just think on that for a moment. How weird would it be? Very. They were all sceptic of what I had made, just like last night, and had me dish out the food to each of them. Pein, to my surprise, had taken two bowls and returned to Zetsu, Konan behind him.

Itachi was still on my laptop—I plugged it in before so that the power wouldn't run out, and Tobi thought I was trying to electrocute all of them—with his dinner beside him. I sat at the table with the Uchiha opposite me, a glum expression on my face as I ate slowly. Tobi was next to me, trying to make conversation and showing me all his drawings. I had to admit, he was quite the artist. Several times I peered at the eye hole in his orange mask, but I always looked away instantly.

Deidara had come in briefly to get some more dinner—he ate fast!—and he walked slowly out so that he could see the orange-masked man eat. I didn't bother. I already knew what he looked like underneath and it was nothing special.

But both he and Sasori—eating on the other side of me—had stopped what they were doing. I watched as they waited patiently, and just as Tobi was about to pull up his mask, a loud noise emanated from my laptop and Itachi skidded back on the tiles in his chair, hands in front of his face. We all jumped, the two artists quickly looking back at Tobi and looking severely disappointed when they saw he had already eaten.

Deidara left in a sulk, and I raised an eyebrow at Itachi who shuffled back in front of the computer, eyes flickering at me in confusion.

"It's a reminder alarm," I mumbled almost incoherently. He continued to work, though a little less enthusiastic.

Sasori started sniffing at each piece of meat or noodle he stabbed with his fork. He sent suspicious looks every now and then, and at one point Tobi had made a dramatic cry that he thought he saw a piece of a human tongue in the red-head's bowl but it just turned out to be a large chunk of tomato. After that, Sasori and I ditched dinner.

I had been staring at the floor most of the time anyway, staring at the spot where I was kneeling along with my parents on Saturday morning. My throat felt like it was blocked when I recalled the feeling of blood and the sounds of my Dad falling, the shriek of my Mum as she panicked. The floor was clean now, though, but I could still envision it.

It made me feel even heavier, and the thought of homework and doing anything at all made me feel like crying—again! But I didn't. I think I was past that point by now. I could just feel myself slip into depression now.

"Jashin, I'm bored!" Hidan cried. "There's nothing to do around this dump!" I heard his loud footsteps as he approached the kitchen. "Hey, bitch! What is there to do around here?"

"Hidan, put your bloody bowl in the sink!" I heard Kakuzu yell. I would have sniggered at the fact that the masked finance manager seemed to be the mother for the silver-head but no joy fuelled me. "I almost stepped in it!"

The Jashinist growled loudly, stomped to the living room, gave Kakuzu the bird and was about to re-enter the kitchen when the remote controller smacked Hidan in the head. The object fell to the table, and he cursed loudly at his partner with every swear word under the sun—even a few in Japanese.

"Television," I suddenly said. I grabbed the remote and headed out into the living room, casting a glance at Zetsu on the couch with Pein and Konan by his side. Placing the remote down, I said, "You can watch TV."

I felt Hidan watching me, and heard the sound of the kitchen seats being pushed out as Sasori and Tobi joined the room. I opened the cabinet next to the set and gestured to all the DVD's in there, my heart clenching when I saw the home videos we created and the discs that only my parents were interested in—westerns, mainly.

"Pick a movie," I suggested glumly. They stared. They didn't have DVD's, obviously. "Would you want a horror movie? Suspense? Romance? Sci-Fi?"

Hidan's lips stretched wide when I made the first suggestion; horror. Blinking dully at him, I pulled out all the movies that were gory—which weren't that many at all—and handed them to him. Sasori and Tobi peered over his shoulder—or in Sasori's case, around him—to see.

The Jashinist burst out laughing. "Hey, Kakuzu! What are you doing on here? Zombies?"

The money-lover grumbled.

Wanting to leave the suffocating room, I grabbed 'Resident Evil' and put it in, getting everything ready. Hidan had settled in front of the couch beside Pein and Konan, and Kakuzu turned his chair around a little so that he could see the screen easier. Sasori and Tobi settled down silently, the latter grabbing a large, green pillow from under Zetsu's feet and hugging it tightly, his body already shivering in anticipation. The red-head glared.

"This better be worth it," Hidan said. I didn't wait. As soon as I hit 'play' I escaped the room to my own. I hoped to get homework out of the way before my depression took full hold of me.

However, the drive vanished completely when I saw Deidara in my now clean room, sitting on his bed with a bowl of food and a bucket of play dough. His fingers were kneading and pushing at the dough, working it into shapes with ease, his one visible eye narrowed in concentration. I could tell he was getting annoyed with it, though, as the play dough was quite old. He must have found it in the storeroom downstairs.

I didn't say anything as I grabbed my bag—that I hauled from downstairs hours ago—and withdrew my homework, clambering onto my bed with my pencil case also in my grip. I set to work, trying to block out the noises of his palm-tongues smacking and lathering the play dough in saliva. It was distracting and disgusting.

"Do you want some water?" I asked.

"Hmm? No," he replied pointedly. "Argh, this stuff is stupid!"

"It's play dough. It's for kids."

He pushed away the blue blob and scowled. "Do you have any real clay?"

I shook my head and scribbled in a mathematical answer. The next practice question stumped me. "Know maths?" His response was a guttural snort. I took that as a no. I could always ask Kakuzu, but I didn't want to go downstairs. I wasn't fond of zombies, and even from here I could hear Tobi wailing despite the fact the movie hadn't fully started.

I sighed and pushed my stuff away, falling back onto my bed. I stared at my parents' photo. My chest tightened but I didn't cry. I was tired of it. At the same time, I wanted to talk to someone as well, but there was nobody in this house I wanted to talk to, and I couldn't call my friends because they didn't know my situation.

I conceded.

Morosely, I asked, "Do you remember your parents, Deidara?"

"What is this? The Mood-Swinger is talking to me, hmm?" he teased without humour.

"Please," I begged.

He sighed. "Don't you know?"

"No..."

"Yeah, I remember them," he answered after a moment. "Not much, but I do."

"Did they love you?" I asked softly.

"We hate each other, girl, why would I tell you something like that?"

I exhaled, nostrils flaring. "I don't know," I replied honestly. "I don't know what to do."

"You're helping us. That's what you're doing," he said sharply. He peered at her. "And don't use me as your counsellor, hmm."

I turned over and moaned, burying my head into my pillow. "You're right. What a stupid thing to do, to talk to you."

We stopped talking.

"Did you think she was attractive?" I suddenly asked.

I heard him stop in playing with the dough, and could practically envision him frowning in thought. "Who? You? Hell no."

To that, I softly laughed. "No, I said 'she'. Hilary."

"The chick with the big boobs?" he asked nonchalantly. "The one that was all over me?" I made a strangled noise and he chuckled. "Yeah, I remember her. I'm surprised you remember that horribly embarrassing conversation... _honey_."

I ditched Jubjub at him but he dodged it with ease.

He made a noise as he shrugged. "She was cool."

I sat up and stared at him. "'Cool'?" I repeated.

"What?" he asked, confused.

"'She was cool'?" I said again. "That's all? She didn't get a..." My face went red and I pursed my lips.

Deidara started laughing. "You look like a fish when you blush!"

"Shut up!" I shrilled, whacking him over the head with my pillow. "Shut up! I do not! I look normal! You look like a fish, you... you fish!"

His cheeks bulged as he held back a laugh. "No, no she didn't," he said instead. "What about you?"

I choked on my spit. "Of course not! I'm not attracted to females!"

"I wasn't talking about the inflated-balloons-with-legs," he responded. "I did happen to notice where your eyes roamed, girl."

"I don't know what you're talking about," I said quickly.

"Uh huh."

"Stop it!"

"Stop what?"

"Stop flirting with me, you goober. Under no way would I even think that of you, you long-haired ponce! I don't even like blond's! And, if you haven't noticed, you're a blond! And—"

"Last time I checked I was, at least," he cut in with an amused smile. He waggled his eyebrows at me, matching with it a big grin. "Wanna double-check?"

"Urgh." I hit him over the head again and again with my pillow, not letting up at all as he defended. "You were a mistake to talk to! I was hoping that I'd finally get some things off my chest regarding all the shit that's happened! Maybe I should have stayed in depression! Why the heck am I talking so much when I'm alone in the world? Stop talking to me, Deidara! I want to be depressed! I feel..." I stopped, falling back against the wall as sweat coated me. My eyes stung, but nothing fell. "...so guilty."

Deidara's hair was frizzier after the onslaught, and he was panting quietly with an amused—but evil—smirk on his lips. He frowned, and I noticed that the eyepiece he normally wore on his left eye was off. (1)

"Guilty? Why the hell for?"

I snarled and hit him over the head once more for good measure. "Because I'm interacting with you murderer's, stupid!"

"I'm stupid?" he scoffed. "You're the one who's the idiot! You're wasting your time wallowing in grief about their deaths when you should be getting a wriggle on with your life—and helping us, for that matter."

"It's hardly been half a week! I deserve time to 'wallow in grief' because they've been in my life for almost eighteen years! And how can I help you guys beyond housing you?" I shouted back.

The door opened.

"You're not fighting again, are you?" Kisame asked. His blue hair shagged over his head, dripping with water. His ninja clothes were a little damp as well, so I assumed he had just been in the shower. "We should separate you two, honestly."

"You haven't been in the bathroom for over half an hour, have you?" I asked, panicking. He shrugged, grinning. "No no no!"

"What's wrong now, girl?" he asked, white eyes slimming.

"We have water restrictions! We live in a dry town, in the middle of the desert, and you spent thirty minutes in the shower?"

Any other person would have muttered 'Sorry', but he didn't, he shrugged his large shoulders again and ran a hand through his blue shock of hair, baring his pointy teeth. I shuddered, picturing Jaws. At that moment, there was a cry of fright from downstairs, and he took a step back to see what was going on.

"What are they watching?"

"A zombie movie."

"Ahh. Hidan'll love that," Kisame snickered.

"Sounds like he is," Deidara responded after hearing the Jashinist cackle loudly in mirth.

"Tobi's scared!"

The bomber scowled. "I hate him," he muttered. I pursed my lips. If only he knew who the masked man truly was.

Kisame suddenly chuckled. He was watching the TV from where he stood. "Looks interesting," he said, heading downstairs.

"Now I'm curious," Deidara muttered.

My sullen mood returned suddenly, something I was regrettably happy about—contradictory, eh? "Then go."

"Hmph. You're not gonna kill yourself, are you?"

I snorted. "Why would I take that honour from you?"

He beamed. "Why, thank you."

He stuffed the play dough back into the bucket and I saw the slobber from his hands drooling down the sides of the plastic. Grabbing his bowl, he picked the bucket up by the red handle and skedaddled, leaving the door open.

It was too late though. I wasn't feeling depressed anymore.

* * *

_(1)_ – _I don't know if the eyepiece is a part of him or not._


	7. Just A Touch Of Organisation

_Normally I don't really giggle at my own stories when it comes to humour, because, well, I wrote it, so I think it's meh. But this chapter did make me giggle a little. I hope it makes you do too. :D_

_Thank you for the feedback everyone! It brings a big smile to my face when I see people enjoying this story, and are even suggesting crushes! But I'm curious... do you really think Deidara and Faye would work? *blink blink*_

_If you enjoyed, please review!_

_Edit: People are wondering what the hell I'm doing about something in this chapter, and are getting confused. It's meant to be like that! It's part of the story and you learn later on what is going on. Sorry about that..._

* * *

—**CHAPTER SEVEN—**  
_Just A Touch Of Organisation_

* * *

_Drip. Drip. Drip._

I wriggled, screwing my face up and tucking my knees into my chest.

_Drip drip._

I buried my head further into my pillow.

_Drip._

I groaned and sat up, damning whoever left the tap loosened. Scowling, I shook off my blankets, glanced at the time (five thirty am) and shuffled down to the end of my bed and got off silently, making sure not to wake the sleeping artists. I looked both ways at my door, guessed where the noise was coming from (the bathroom), and headed that way.

I felt around in the dark for the shower tap, not wanting to turn the light on in case I'd wake up Pein and Konan not far down the hall. I didn't particularly want to see them in a grumpy mood. I grasped one and turned it the right way, going to the one over when it didn't silence the dripping.

It stopped and a sigh escaped me.

"Hi."

I screamed into a hand that had suddenly appeared around my mouth. Someone chuckled into my ear and my heart raced what felt like the speed of a pack of horses galloping to the finish line before I realised that no one could possibly get into my house without the Akatsuki finding out first; and none of _them_ were allowed to harm me.

"Thanks for turning that off. It was driving me nuts."

I nodded weakly and tried to push away the hand, turning around to see the vague outline of Hidan with a wicked grin on his face. I saw his pink eyes twinkle in the vague moonlight coming through the window and reflecting off the glass.

He then made for the toilet and put up the lid—both of them. I heard and saw him shuffling around for the band of his pants when I yelped into my hand and widened my eyes, looking away and burning red. He snickered quietly at my reaction.

"The nerve," I whispered hoarsely. "You weren't seriously going to the toilet while I was here, were you? And with the door open?"

"When you've lived the life I've lived girl, you wouldn't give a shit," he replied.

I felt sick. I closed the door behind me and leaned against it. Unfortunately, I heard the stream he released still and blushed a deep red, tightening my lips so that I looked like a fish (according to Deidara) and scuffled downstairs. I tiptoed quietly passed the sleeping Kakuzu and Zetsu. The latter hadn't woken up since we found him in the backyard, but according to Pein, he looked better. Kakuzu was next to the lounge, sleeping like a log. Tobi had moved to Itachi and Kisame's room.

I turned into the kitchen and almost screamed when I saw Itachi staring at the lit laptop screen, his eyes wide like they had dried out. Gaping, I whispered, "You've been here all night?" hoarsely.

I saw a slight nod and stalked over to him, glad I was wearing socks as my feet met the cold tiles. Without a word, I slammed the lid down, the kitchen going dark. My body shivered like a leaf and air escaped my body when I saw red glaring back at me from the darkness.

"For your sake," he said calmly, though I could still hear the note of irritation, "that'd better be there."

"It will be," I said shakily. "But you should get some sleep." I sounded braver than I felt.

"Finding a way home is more important than sleep."

"And I thought you were smart," I countered. "If you were, you'd know that the brain needs time, sleeping, to absorb all the information you've downloaded into your memory. Keeping up and staring at the screen like you were will only give you a major headache."

He moaned and rubbed his temples just as I said it, and I fought the urge to roll my eyes. But now I was curious.

"You haven't used your Sharingan, have you?"

He glared at me, the red boring holes into me. I couldn't look away. "No," he said tersely. I was suspicious.

"Then you're getting square eyes. Take today off, or at least until you feel better," I told him, and then I bit my lip. Sighing, I stood behind him and pressed my fingers gently over his massaging his hand. He flinched, grabbing at my wrist. "Stop, stop."

He paused, waiting for my answer.

"I want to be a massage therapist when I finish school. I've studied books about such things, so I know how to ease the pain," I explained, though my heart still raced.

"Hn," he moaned. I interpreted that as 'I still don't trust you', so I responded to it in kind.

"I don't trust you either. Showing up at my house all of a sudden, threatening me, making yourself at home while my parents are away on a holiday. Sometimes I wonder why I'm so complacent."

He didn't respond, but I'd like to think that he liked the massage I gave. He had made small noises of contentment every now and then. It also felt weird to touch him in such an intimate way.

"How much have you got done?" I asked. He didn't answer. "Itachi?" I said tentatively. It just felt as though if I said his name he'd reach up and pull my eyes out. And he still hadn't answered. His head was limp in my hands, and I realised quickly that he had fallen asleep.

I was curious, though, and I kept him in place as I leaned over him and opened my laptop a peep. I glanced at the internet pages he had opened, as well as the Word document which he had discovered. Holding my breath, I clicked on that tab and scanned what he had written. A frown marred my face as I read on, my hastening heart beat making sweat accumulate on my brow.

Did he even know what he was doing?

I stared back at his sleeping face, his head resting in my hand.

What was up with him?

I scrolled to the end, and at the bottom were two words, the cursor flashing at the end. My breath hitched and I closed the laptop.

'_I forgot.'_

What did he forget?

"Good, he's asleep." I jumped, eyes wide as I met Kisame's white ones at the archway. He tilted his head at the Uchiha. "He's been staring at that laptop since twelve," he said. "Didn't touch anything else, just stared. Was sorta creepy actually, but that's Itachi for you. You don't have any cotton buds do you? Tobi's snoring is like a wave crashing."

I nodded numbly and robotically retrieved some cotton buds and handed it to him, making sure not to touch his blue hands. Without another word, the shark-man then took the black-haired man from the seat and disappeared around the corner. Releasing a held catch of air, I reopened my laptop and had another read. I bookmarked the internet pages, saved the document and turned the computer off, unplugging the power from the socket. It was almost six.

I wouldn't be able to get to sleep, now, and I didn't want to go to my room to get my homework. I also didn't want to wake up Kakuzu and Zetsu—and Hidan, now that I could hear him coming down the stairs. He was snickering to himself when I saw him (probably about Itachi sleeping like a baby and being carried by Kisame), and just as he kneeled on his mattress on the floor by Kakuzu, he also saw me.

"Not able to sleep?" he asked, but I got the feeling he didn't care for my answer.

"Did you flush the toilet?" I queried. I hated it when people didn't do that.

"Nope."

I cringed in disgust and sat down. I saw my _Naruto_ books still on the table and gathered them, stacking them on the laptop. I was bored. I'd have to get up in an hour anyway for school. My body didn't seem to care. I fell asleep anyway.

* * *

School flew by. Charlie kept sending me suggestive looks and wiggling her eyebrows. She had kept her word about Deidara—she hadn't learnt his name—which I was relieved about. I had asked why she wasn't feeling guilt over it and she merely laughed and said it was obvious he wasn't to my interest, so it wasn't anything to be hyped up about.

I was lucky to scrape through Maths with the help of Paprika, who had leant me her answers for the questions when she saw just how zombie-like I appeared at the start of the lesson; I tried not to laugh at the irony. Health was quite smooth, but we got piled with homework anyway.

To my displeasure, Hilary had strutted up to me at lunch—after I glanced at the sidewalk for any sights of the Akatsuki—and gave me a scathing glare. Normally she jumped from males quickly, so I was surprised she seemed to be hung up about a certain blond. I was tired of thinking of him, honestly, so I tried to divert her onslaught of questions by calling out to Jordan to come over.

Lots of people feared Jordan just because of his size, but also because he was the son of an ex-marine. Hilary left me alone, and Jordan had laughed, patting my back hard as we walked to our spot.

I pondered how my parents were going on my walk home. I hoped they were doing well over in Hawaii. I did think it was a bit strange that they left so suddenly and only left me a note (and Mum was pregnant as well, so I wonder how they got the flight over), and so was therefore a bit worried, but as soon as Akatsuki showed up, their reason for their absence left my mind.

Having them show up scared me to death, and I would have had them leave but I was blackmailed into helping them—the punishment: death. So I helped, and since they hadn't hurt anybody yet, I figured it wasn't so bad. They were keen to get home, and I was keen to see them leave.

I entered the house, and the first thing I saw was Zetsu sitting up on the couch. He had been unconscious since last evening after apparently fainting out in the backyard. Pein didn't explain a thing, but I knew it was because his body was being forced to adapt to this world. Most of the group was in front of the TV, watching another horror movie. They were fast learners to work the contraption.

None of them turned to me when I walked in, except for Tobi who sped across the room and hid behind me. At that time, a female character in the movie screamed as she was being muscled down to the floor by a group of zombies and started feasting on her. I gagged and looked away, heading to the stairs and hiding the screen from view as I walked; Tobi followed me, his hands on my waist.

"Gomez."

I looked up at Pein, coming out of my parent's room.

"A few days worth of food left," he reminded as he walked by. At that moment, Itachi exited the spare bedroom, and Pein paused. "Itachi. Found anything?"

I froze, my hand on the doorknob as I listened for his answer while trying to ignore Tobi who squeaked when someone screamed from the movie.

"Yes."

I opened the door and stalked in, slinging my bag against my wardrobe and collapsing onto my bed. Tobi, for some reason, decided to follow me in (closing the door) and curl up on my bed, hugging Jubjub. Kishimoto never really explained why Madara Uchiha acted like a child (other than as pretence, but I wasn't convinced), so I found myself curious the longer he stayed there.

I didn't dare ask, though. I pictured his red eye gleaming from the hole with his hands wrapped around my neck as he choked me for speaking. No. I wouldn't speak.

"Tobi wonders if Fairy hates Senpai," the masked man asked in his childish voice.

"I hate all of you," I responded monotonously.

He gasped. "You hate Tobi? But Tobi's been good! Tobi's been nice! Tobi likes Fairy."

I smiled. "I'm sorry, Tobi. Maybe later on." Or not.

It was so sudden. His gloved hands gripped my shoulders so tightly I gasped. He pushed me into my bed and I struggled to look up at him as I kicked my legs.

"To—"

He bent over me, his swirl mask somehow insignificant compared to the red eye peering at me. I stopped moving about then, going slack in his grip as I bit my lip, trying not to cry out. I had been hoping to avoid encountering him in this state, but I walked right into it.

Noticing that I stopped fighting him, he moved closer to my face, our eyes at level, until his mask touched my nose.

"I know you know," he said. My body shuddered at how deep his voice was and my breathing grew laboured. "You already said so, two days ago. I just wanted to talk."

I nodded meekly.

"Good girl. So compliant. Maybe too compliant, even." He sounded amused. "But you desire to live, and people are desperate for things they want."

A noise that sounded extraterrestrial escaped my lips. His hand left my shoulder and ghosted over my cheek.

"Don't be scared, girl."

I almost missed my nickname as he spoke. I missed the cheerful side of him, even if he was just acting.

"I merely just want to warn you to be careful. I like my identity secret, you see, and the fact that it hangs off the end of your tongue makes me uneasy. You could say it whenever, wherever, and everything would be ruined.

"So it's just a warning. Spill, and you die. So shhhh." He put a finger to his mask where his lips would be as the thumb of his other hand traced over my shivering lips. His noise of hush sounded so sensual that I couldn't stop the quaking of my body. I prayed that he hadn't noticed anything, but if he did, he didn't comment. Nor did he have the chance.

There was a knock on my door, and it opened just as Tobi let me go and kept his guise. I exhaled slowly as I sat up and met Deidara's blue eyes. He wasn't smiling, and for a second I feared he had heard everything Madara said, but he hadn't.

"Tobi. You have a guest," he said.

"Fletcher?" I asked.

"Doggy?" Tobi said instead at the same time.

Deidara nodded and Tobi was already zooming out the door. I found it hard to believe that he was such a serious guy and just threatening me seconds ago, and that he was that committed to keeping his disguise as an annoying idiot.

The blond smirked at me. "How's jugs-with-legs?"

I tried not to giggle, so I made my fish-face to which he snorted to.

"Deidara. Is she in there?" Kakuzu, I think, asked. It was worrisome that I was beginning to identify them by their voices, even though they ranged widely from pitch to base.

The bomber started, stepping back from the door as he jabbed a thumb over his shoulder. "Yup."

Seconds later and the masked man was at the door, glaring at the blond as if to ask why he was still there, and carrying a few papers in his hand. I felt a little panicky all of a sudden when I saw them. My hands were still littered with paper cuts, something that my friends had queried about today but didn't press.

"Yes?" I said hesitantly.

"How do we pay for your bills?" he asked, showing me the papers but not letting me take them. Not that I wanted to. I didn't understand bills much. About all I really understood was that we had to pay for lighting and heating and the like, something my parents normally handled.

"Oh. That." I tucked my legs in so that I was sitting cross-legged. "Uh, can't we leave them until my parents come back?"

His answer was a sharp and resounding, "No." I jumped, surprised by how forceful he sounded. "We need to change things around here, as well," he continued, holding up sheet. "This bill is for heating. It's too expensive. We need to cut back on the use of heat. The same with lighting, and electricity."

I frowned. "I can hardly control all of you. Kisame had a thirty minute shower the other day, and I when I told him he shouldn't have, he blew me off."

"Hmmm." His green eyes narrowed. "I'll speak to Leader. In the mean time, it would not be good to keep these bills lying."

I sighed in aggravation. "Fine. I'll deal with it."

"Good."

With that, he left, leaving me more than a little annoyed. And Deidara's amused smirk didn't help to alleviate my irritation. I just got back from school, for Pete's sake, and the first thing that happened to me was Tobi-disguised-as-Madara threatening to kill me if I spill the beans, and then dealing with the horror bills. Deidara, however, just topped the list.

I groaned as I fell back on my bed. Hearing a snicker at the door, I grabbed Jubjub and ditched him across the room, hearing the door slam just before my plushie made contact. At least he was gone.

* * *

There was a knock at the door, rousing me from my strong concentration of my homework. Partially ticked that I was broken out of it, I snapped an "In!" at the person behind the door as I slammed my pen down and stared at the blur of blue and black words. Studying Health was harder than I thought. I kept getting certain muscles mixed up.

The door opened and Konan's pale face peeked in. "You sound troubled," she said.

I shook my head in frustration. "I was in the zone!" I complained.

"My apologies."

I looked up at her sincere tone, and squinted my eyes at her expression. It was stony, as always, but I felt as though something was off. What reason could she possibly be in here for? Glancing at the clock, it was only five thirty. Was it dinner? I seriously had to show them how to make something, because I refused to cook every night and morning.

Konan closed the door and she sat on my bed. To this, I turned my chair around and frowned even deeper. She looked uncomfortable, noticeable by the way her legs were clenched together and how her body was tense.

"This is no easy thing for me to say," she finally spoke. "I did have my own way with dealing it, but now that the use of chakra is prohibited and I am here..." She met my eyes. "Faye. What methods do females here use during their menstrual cycle?"

I paused. "Oh."

I felt a little sorry for her. Surrounded by males had to be no easy thing, and she looked so comfortable that it hadn't occurred to me that she was actually a female as well. Duh, Faye. She has boobs after all.

At the same time, it was awkward. I know she came from a different place and everything, but still. I didn't imagine things would be too different all the same. Then again, even if we did have the same things, she wouldn't know where to find anything.

"Uh, well, we, uh... have pads... and-and tampons," I tried to explain. I was just off guard. "For cramps, we use painkillers or heated wheat bags."

She nodded, and I saw no recognition cross her face when I mentioned any of that; and no confusion either. "I see. Do you have some?"

"Uh, sure!" I fumbled around my bedside table drawer for the necessary things and handed them to her. "There are different sorts of painkillers for cramps, but I use these." I tapped the box. "They're specifically for them. Follow the instructions, too. Uh, if it doesn't work, I can try to find a wheat bag for you."

I think I was rambling now, but it looked as though she was still listening as she pocketed the items into her pants and nodded.

"I thank you. The boys wouldn't understand."

I tried to conceal a snort of laughter at the use of the word 'boys' but the sound still half slipped out. She turned to me, a slight smile on her cold face. And then I let it go. I laughed at the thought of the grown men dealing with women problems. While I knew Kakuzu knew about such things, and so did Pein, I assume, I didn't know about the rest. Still, it was an amusing thought. And laughing felt good; even better since it was an Akatsuki member who ignited it.

"I thought you'd find that amusing," she said. "It's not often I get to interact with other females, so I have to admit, this is strange." I watched her expression as it morphed from soft to confusion.

"Likewise," was all I said. "I-I mean, I do have female friends, but none of them know about my... situation."

She nodded in understanding. She sat back down. "Would you mind telling me about your friends?"

I blinked rapidly, wondering if I had misinterpreted what she had just said, but she was looking back at me with all seriousness. Just a few nights ago I was wishing for someone I could talk to, and at the time, I had wrongfully chosen Deidara to do that to, but now Konan was creating that option for me. I appreciated it more than I thought.

Slowly I lowered myself back into my seat by my desk. "Uh, sure." Then I paused. "Do you want to deal with your problem first?"

* * *

Kakuzu had a point. Things were a mess in my house—really my parents, but they weren't there at the moment, so it's mine—and they needed to come to order. It was approaching Wednesday morning, tomorrow, actually, which was the day our family used to wash our sheets and replace them with fresh ones. Kakuzu would have a heart attack with how much water that would use but I didn't want to have the stink of men stained into the sheets, so I was willing to deal with it. I was considering washing them by hand.

I had noticed as well, whenever I left my room, that many of the members would leave the lights on in a room they didn't enter again until much later. Kakuzu's words in my mind, I turned off the spare room's light as I passed it on my way to the kitchen. In the living room, all of the lights were on, and I grumbled to myself as I switched off the lamp by the TV, earning a few narrowed looks from the men watching the horror movie, and the main light, to which the reaction was just another onslaught of narrowed eyes.

About to walk into the kitchen, I then noticed something. I pointed a finger at a sleeping Sasori, his head resting back on the couch cushion where Zetsu still slept. "He's asleep again? You guys have been home all day, lazing about, and he's been sleeping?"

"It's the changes," a voice beside me sounded, and I yelped, jumping away and crashing into the archway. I panted in fright as I glared at the Leader. "He didn't have the need to sleep before, so in a human body, the exhaustion is beginning to hit him. He's not used to it." He glanced up. "Kakuzu spoke to you about the bills, I see," he said as he smirked and walked back into the lit kitchen and taking a sip from his drink.

I exhaled loudly and doubled over, hushing my heart. He was scary.

"Gomez."

I straightened my back so fast I hit the back of my head again. Wincing and rubbing the tender spot, I nodded curtly without matching his eyes.

"You're out of coffee."

"What?" I gasped. "But you've only been here four days!"

"There was only a little left in the first place. Itachi's had the most to keep awake."

I growled, hissing the Uchiha's name as I stalked into the kitchen. Sure enough, there he was, sitting at the laptop with a mug in his hand. "Itachi, do you not remember what I said to you this morning?"

His eyes lifted for a second to meet mine before they dropped back to my laptop, his fingers pattering across the keys very fast. "Do you not want us to leave?"

"Heck, I want you to leave more than _you _want to!"

"I highly doubt that," he muttered.

"Are you saying I'm a bad host?" I asked, before shaking my head. "Don't answer that. Yes, Uchiha, I want you to leave, but if you keep staring at that screen for the next who-knows-how-long... you have to take breaks," I said slowly. When he stared at him with those freaky, emotionless eyes of his, I retreated back a few steps and sighed loudly. "Fine. I'll put coffee on the shopping list." I did so on the pad by the counter with the phone and other books and contacts on it. "In the mean time, I think we have some soft drink in the fridge."

"Soft drink?" Konan asked softly. I hadn't even noticed her there, sitting at the table and leafing through the first volume of Naruto. She looked a smidge better than when I had first seen her in my room.

I surfed through the fridge, taking out empty jars that they must have put back after finishing and placing them on the table. I shuffled things around a bit so it was back in order—at least they didn't hesitate to make themselves at home—before pulling out a half-full bottle of Coke at the bottom. I didn't drink much of this. My Dad was the one who usually drank it.

"A soft drink is a drink that has artificially created flavour, and full of sugar and caffeine. It keeps people awake because of what's in it. So, _Uchiha_, if you really want to give yourself a migraine, drink this since we've run out of coffee." I set it on the table with a loud bang. "I'm actually curious what you guys might think of it."

Pein sculled the rest of his drink and put it at the already full counter of dirty dishes. I grimaced when I saw the sink, because I knew I'd have to be the one who'd wash it all and put it away. If I ever did anything to do with the dishes beforehand, it was drying them.

Groaning in aggravation, I grabbed the empty jars and set them by the door. I decided I'd empty to the bin while I was at it, and did so as Pein and Konan were reading the label of the Coke.

"I don't recognise these chemicals," I heard him mumble to the female as I walked passed and started doing the dishes—I improvised. "Do you people really drink this, Gomez?"

"Yes. Mainly kids, though. There are other sorts of soft drinks as well," I explained as I tested the hot, soapy water. "Fanta. Sprite. Mountain Dew. Et cetera."

"How do we know it's not poisoned or poisonous?" Konan asked.

I snorted. "It does have a long-term effect on the body, but so does everything else. Besides, my Dad drinks it, and he's not dead yet."

I didn't notice the silence as I shoved the pile of cutlery into the water and began. And as I worked, I spoke about some things that were normal around the house, such as the empty jars and bottles going in the corner until they were put out into the correct bins. The bed washing on Wednesday, and the clothes washing on Friday night. I explained not to attack the phone when it went off, but rather let it ring until it's answered by the answering machine, and to not attack the device when they'd hear a voice speaking.

I insisted that the boys clean up after themselves when in the bathroom, because I just remembered that I'd have to share that shower with them for who knows how long. I remembered that I didn't want to stand in the shower because of what I found in there. I hoped that Pein or Konan would pass this on to the others, and by the time I thought I was done, my mouth was all foamy, but I found I had immensely enjoyed myself in washing the dishes.

"What about food?" Konan asked. "And clothes?"

I flinched, sending bubbles all over the almost empty sink. "Uh... has Kakuzu...?"

"Yes."

I bowed my head. "Wow," I whispered. "This is going to be difficult. Um... food shopping... I can do that tomorrow after sch—oh no. I was thinking of hand washing the sheets tomorrow. How... much food do we have?"

"I believe you'd know better," Pein responded. "You're out of bread though. About the only thing we have been eating when you're not here is what you first taught us: toast, and other bread meals."

I shook my hands over the sink and pulled the plug, watching the frothy water go down the hole. Drying my hands, I opened a few cupboards, the pantry and the fridge to check. "We'd be fine until Thursday, easy, except for the bread, of course, but I'm busy that afternoon."

"Oh?"

I froze as I stopped in my search. Looking up, I quickly turned away when I saw Pein staring at me with a none-too-pleased expression on his face. I forgot. He was like my parent at the moment, and he was far stricter than my real Dad, who wouldn't care if I did something after school with my friends without informing him, as long as I got back home before dinner.

"Uh... yeah," I said slowly. "Um..." I swallowed. "My friends and I were planning on going out after school that day and... I said yes." There followed an awkward five seconds. "Okay, I'm sorry I didn't tell you. I didn't even think of it. It's just how things work with my Dad and I, that it didn't come to mind that you would actually be unhappy if I didn't come home on time. Why should it matter anyway? You're not my Dad, and thank God you're not!

"Anyway, I'm not doing much here to begin with. I'm just playing your little maid. Please, just let me go out with my friends on Thursday. I promise, I _swear_, I won't tell anybody. Besides, you should talk to Deidara about that day still, because my friend is still completely curious and—"

"Okay, okay, stop."

My jaw snapped shut and I slowly met his eyes. They looked tired, so I let myself relax.

"Your friends... would they suspect if you did not go?" he asked.

"Probably," I drew out. "My friends... we're pretty close. If one of us is unable to go to something, the rest of the group shows up at their house afterwards to explain everything that happened, which often leads to a sleepover. I don't think you'll want them showing up," I said.

"Pein," Konan started. The manga book in her hand was now closed, with her thumb keeping the page. "She is right. There is not much she can do at the moment." Then she looked at me. "Perhaps... if you show us how to hand wash the sheets first, you may be able to go get some food tomorrow. I'll try to rope the boys into doing the laundry while you're at school."

Itachi inconspicuously coughed into his mug, but was heard nonetheless. I tried to fight the grin at the thought of several criminals doing women's work, but a snort escaped me anyway. I was beginning to grow fond of Konan. She spoke of the Akatsuki as though they were her sons, even though a number of them were way older than her. For that matter, Sasori still looked the age of twenty.

"They're not going to be happy," Pein muttered.

"Well, I think it's about time we earn our keep," Konan replied coolly.

I saw an orange eyebrow rise on his forehead as the Leader grew used to the idea. He tilted his head at me and I quickly stared at the ceiling. "Keep the bathroom clean... do you clean anything else in the house?"

I jumped in surprise, catching on instantly. "Yes! Every week we mop the tiled floors and vacuum the carpets. We also have a room at the back where we stored most of our belongings," I added. "We could shift things around in there, dust a bit, and use it as another room. We're out of mattresses, but—"

"It will be fine," Pein agreed. He shared a look with Konan, and I assumed they were mentally communicating.

I frowned, realising something. How was Pein able to move if Nagato is the one, technically, in control of the jutsu?

"They won't like it, but eventually they'll run out of things to do here," he began, a smirk on his face. "We'll get them to do it. Just show us how first."

I hope I didn't look to gleeful at his words, but I was elated to know that something was going to go my way in keeping the house intact. They _were_ following my rules, yes, and that I was grateful about, but I could see them getting slightly antsy. Hidan was itching to do his rituals, and I dreaded the moment I might've needed to explain that he wouldn't be immortal anyway. I don't think he knows yet, because I haven't seen any blood anywhere which suggested he had performed his ritual.

"Okay," I said, trying to keep joy from my voice.

He sighed as he looked around. "This will be interesting."

"Akatsuki doing housework..." Itachi muttered. "This isn't going to end well."

"What about clothes?" Konan asked. She was pretty hung up on fashion, I realised.

All three of them looked at me, backed by a scream from Tobi who was watching the horror movie with Fletcher between his legs. Geez, man, if the movie 'scares' you, don't watch it.

"Uh, Itachi, how long do you think you'll take to find a way back home?" I questioned quickly.

He raised his head to nestle his chin upon his weaved fingers, an almost coy smile on his lips as he appraised me. "Long enough."

"You enjoyed saying that, didn't you?" I growled. He raised an eyebrow, which, in his language, could have equalled 'hell yeah!' I grabbed my head and groaned. "Fine, fine! If we must... Friday. But I will not be going out in public with all of you following me."

Pein gestured at Konan. "Konan, you can go." Oh good. I probably wouldn't mind that so much. "Itachi, you too."

"No way!" I cried. "He-he doesn't need to come. Konan is fine. Konan is good. Konan is nice." I slapped my forehead at how stupid I sounded. "Please tell me," I started again slowly, "that the boys at least know their size."

"I'm not sure," Pein said.

"Great. Look, it is possible to buy things here, bring them back and try them on. If they don't fit, we can return the clothes and exchange it for a size up, as long as the tags are still attached, and we have the receipt. The only thing we, as in I, risk, is someone seeing me, and the embarrassment of returning a bag full of clothes if this doesn't work."

"Or, if you want to avoid all that, bring Itachi," Pein insisted.

I was about to ask 'why' but knew instantly that it was staring right at me; almost literally. Itachi was staring at me, but it was his normal eyes he was using. The Sharingan. I almost laughed out loud at how far the use of the Sharingan has dropped in the last week. It amused me to no end that the great Itachi Uchiha would have to use the special kekkei genkai for clothes shopping.

I must have giggled because he narrowed his eyes at me, and I looked away, fearing he might activate the Sharingan just to see if 'he could'.

"Gomez."

I stared at Pein's feet. "Hm?"

"Itachi is going."

It was obviously final. And with that, I let out another frustrated groan and collapsed into a seat by the table next to me, dropping my head on the top with a loud _thud_. "Ow."


	8. Akatsuki At Work

_Hello! Thanks to **ScaredToDeathYaoi** for getting me motivated to finish this chapter._

_There are the usual warnings - swearing and sexual references - but I still hope you enjoy it. :D_

* * *

—**CHAPTER EIGHT—**  
_Akatsuki at Work_

* * *

Date: Wednesday. September 8th, 2010.

Time: Morning. 6:00am.

Location: My house.

Mood: Tired and irritated.

Current act: waking up the sleepyhead's—Akatsuki.

"Get up," I demanded. I received a moan from both artist's, and one of them—Sasori—grumbled as he turned over in his bed. I nudged both of them with a foot. "Get up."

"Fish, if you touch me one more time, you'll... go...bang," Deidara mumbled into his pillow. I gleefully noted Jubjub under his arm before I narrowed my eyes.

"I thought I told you to stop calling me that," I growled. He chuckled before turning over, twisting the sheets around his lithe body as he did so. "Okay, enough." Without another word, I untucked the ends of their sheets from the mattress and prepared to pull when a hand stopped me.

I jumped, looking up to meet tired but excited eyes of pink: Hidan. Glancing over my shoulder, I saw Kakuzu leaning against the archway with his arms crossed. He held up two fingers and gestured to himself, so I stood up quietly, Hidan taking the sheets, and crossed over to the now un-masked man. As an afterthought, he was more intimidating when not shading his jaw with that white cloth.

"Rise and shine, sleeping beauties," Hidan teased.

"Piss off, Hidan," Deidara grumbled. Sasori remained resolutely silent, and I wondered if he was asleep again.

The only warning they got was a chuckle from Hidan before he slipped off both sheets in one swoop, exposing them to the rather chilly morning air. Deidara kicked impulsively, his foot knocking Hidan's leg so that he fell back.

"You bastard!" Deidara yelled, sitting up finally. I sniggered at his unruly bed-hair that looked much akin to a bird's nest. He moaned loudly as he ran a hand through his yellow locks.

Sasori sat up as well, his brown eyes glazed heavily as he started to rub the sleep from his eyes. I felt a little sorrier for the red-head, mostly because he was still adjusting to a human body, and was therefore more exhausted. If Pein meant that Sasori was now catching up on the lack of sleep from so many years, then I was surprised he was able to wake up at all—though he did seem as though he'd collapse back into bed right then.

"Why are we getting up this early?" Deidara grumbled again.

"Stop complaining, Barbie," Hidan said – he must have seen the dolls that my sister and I used to play with that were now in the storeroom downstairs, unless... did they have barbie dolls where they came from? "You've gotten up earlier before."

"I hate this time difference."

"He's got a point," Kakuzu agreed. "We've been here for several nights and we're not all used to it."

I nodded slightly. "Or maybe it's because of how late you guys are going to bed?"

At once all of them glared at me, and I released a strangled cry of fright before I grabbed the sheets from Hidan and scampered out of the room. I was glad I was already dressed in some old clothes. I breached the living room and saw Zetsu sitting at the couch, a white hand streaming through his green shock of hair. He looked up when I entered and I shivered at his yellow gaze, feeling undeniably scared by it.

It was the first time I had seen him affected by the annoyingness of sleep. The image was odd.

I swallowed as I waved a feeble 'hello' before turning into the kitchen, trying to ignore his glare on my back. Konan was there with Kisame, both of them eating some cereal. There were several boxes on the table along with a pile of bowls and spoons. At this I stopped, surprised.

"Causing stress to you won't help us," Konan explained. Kisame was chomping madly, staring at his spoon that I now saw had some teeth marks on it. Noting this too, Konan said, "Use it lightly, Kisame, or you'll break it."

"The wood for the chopsticks back home are stronger than this piece of shit," he complained. He growled and grabbed a cereal box, staring at the front cover. "Fucking sultana's," he cursed.

"Will you be fine getting the groceries yourself?" Konan asked, speaking slightly louder as the giant blue man gnawed even harder. I grimaced when he tried picking some of the brown small fruits from his teeth; and the older female sighed into a hand in a 'I-can't-believe-he's-doing-that' way.

My lips still peeled back in distaste, I answered with, "Maybe. It depends. Does any of the Akatsuki have any allergies? Favourite, least favourite foods? Ah, but you're probably used to eating Japanese food, not Western food."

"Yes. Then would you like one of us to come with you?"

I felt the chills slither up my spine at the mere thought, and was more than prepared to open my mouth and say, clear and bold, 'no thanks,' but someone had cut in before I got the chance to make a peep.

"You have a money limit, girl," Kakuzu rumbled as he entered the kitchen and sat down opposite Kisame, reaching for the cereal boxes and inspecting the front cover. "I should go with you."

A snort cracked before I could stop it, and the three slowly looked up at me as though I had sneezed on the feet of Pein himself. I did my fish impersonation and stumbled back a few steps. "I-I didn't mean it like that. K-Kakuzu would just stand out a lot, because of how he looks. You know, the stiches and stuff; not to mention the eyes. I-I mean, no offense, they're interesting eyes but they're not normal around here, and people will most definitely stare. And—"

"Woah, girly," Kisame cut in, beaming; I sucked my lips in to stop myself. He continued chomping away on the remainder of the Sultana Bran he had in his bowl.

"Kakuzu will keep the amount of money used to the minimum—" Kisame snorted, "—and he's also aware of what sorts of food the Akatsuki do or don't like," Konan explained, popping the spoon back into her mouth before dipping it into her cereal.

The money-lover glared at me, as if daring me to oppose what he did and was good at, but would I seriously with those eyes directed at me? They made me tremble on the spot and feel like I was choking on my own lips. I nodded weakly.

He poured some food, still watching me. "I'll wear a disguise, if I must."

Zetsu stumbled in past me right then, brushing my arm as he did. My hair immediately stood on edge as he glanced back at me with those freaky yellow eyes of his and lethargically lowered himself into a chair. I couldn't help but notice, either, that his pants were much looser around his waist, and that as he sat they almost slid right off. I blushed a deep red and looked up, trying to dismiss his disgruntled growl as he pulled them up again.

"Wear your mask," the ex-plant-man suggested. He stared at the two cereal boxes carefully, before sniffing at them. That was the first time I had heard him speak, I believe. I didn't quite understand his two voices, but this one sounded quite light compared some of the Akatsuki, so I assumed it was his white side.

Kisame frowned. "Why should he?"

"People back home wore masks when sick, **idiot**," he responded casually, his last word going considerably deeper. It was so smooth the way he spoke, like he didn't even know that there were two personalities within him.

"Alright, alright," Hoshigaki hushed, going back to eating.

But I understood where Zetsu was going. "He'll get glanced at, sure, but at least there's a reason," I said. "It's still winter, too, so I'll go look for something with long sleeves for you to wear." I still hated the thought of him accompanying me, but I understood when I was defeated, so I stumbled quickly back upstairs.

"Pein is still sleeping, Faye, so please be quiet!" I heard Konan call from behind me.

I skidded on the carpet, completely forgetting about the orange-haired leader lying in bed in the room just metres in front of me. My mind seemed to diverge in two different paths right then. Would he hurt me involuntarily for disturbing him? Should I even go in there? Shouldn't I wait until I returned from school to go look for something? That was one side; the other line of thought was completely different. Did he sleep with a shirt on? Did he sleep on his stomach or his back? Did he move around a lot? What did he sleep in; boxers or briefs?

I knew that Jordan wore boxers, but Callum was secretive about which one he wore when the girls and I tried to scrape the answer out of him. I think he just liked to see us squirm in not knowing the answer, but I have a niggly feeling that he wore briefs.

My eyes sealed shut when images of Pein sporting briefs with smiley faces came into mind, and a loud shudder convulsed my body.

"Move, Fish-face," a voice interrupted me, and I opened my eyes again to see Deidara and Sasori glaring at me from beneath their bedraggled fringes, thick bags under their eyes so that they resembled zombies. I meeped and slid passed them, hunched over as I stole my way to the end room, still trying to herd those scary images from my mind. The last thing I heard as I entered my parent's room was Sasori and Deidara cursing me for getting them up so early, and Hidan clambering out of my room.

The room was dark; like a horror movie dark. Air left my body when I saw a shadow moving on the bed (the window, the light coming through, was behind it) and I had to stop my heart from its temporary freeze-attack when I realised it was Pein's chest expanding. Somehow, if I wasn't so freaked out by the Leader, I would have thought it was quite erotic...

I ignored his soft breaths as I tip-toed over to my parent's cupboard and softly slid open the door. Pawing through the coat-hangers in the dark, I realised that Dad had left a lot of his coats behind. At first I thought it was weird but then remembered that he was going to Hawaii, and thus wouldn't need it as much. Eventually finding one that I thought was suitable, I quickly took it, closed the door, turned around and – I died.

Just kidding.

But it certainly feel like it when my heart did leap out of its cavity, because as soon as I turned I saw Pein looming over me, one side of his face faintly illuminated and sweat beading down his cheek bones. His eyes, though, unnerved me, and I stopped breathing as I backed up against the cupboard and fought a scream – it was right on my lips.

"What's your definition of 'quiet', Gomez?" he asked me softly, his voice somehow echoing around the room.

I couldn't make a sound. I literally couldn't. I was frightened to the core.

"Even your quaking is loud," he mumbled as he leaned back and ran a hand through his orange mane. My eyes involuntarily dropped to his exposed chest, and I felt heat rise to my cheeks.

I was just barely getting used to seeing Hidan walk around without a shirt, but to see the Leader of the Akatsuki without one was just... mind-blowing. It was one of those things you had on a list of things that you would never see in a million years. I guess my million years were up. And it wasn't that I wasn't used to seeing bare chests, it's just that... how often do you see them like this?

He must have heard me gulp and he glared down at me again. I trembled and slid to the floor, clutching my Dad's jacket like my life depended on it, and made sure that my gaze was glued to something other than him. I only glanced up when I heard him slipping something on, and he was; his ninja shirt.

I caught a glimpse of his back muscles and pressed myself harder against the cupboard.

I couldn't deny it. Even though he has got pasty white skin, and forgetting the fact that he was a criminal, a fictional (dead) character, and so on, I liked what I saw.

Female with hormones. Duh. How could I not react?

"I-I-I sh-should go," I squeaked, face red, and I tripped over my socked feet as I sprinted out the door, slammed it shut and collapsed right outside. I panted, and froze again when I heard the click of it opening again. I could practically feel Pein staring at my back as I lay crumbled up on the floor in front of him. It was sort of embarrassing.

"Don't you have something to show us?" he asked. I nodded.

* * *

"Fuck this shit!" Hidan hissed. I had told them to be silent considering my neighbours may be asleep still. He dunked the white sheet back into the tub of hot water, all the while glaring at me supervising him. The look unnerved me, but then again, so did everyone else's whenever I walked passed them.

They'd glower and bare their teeth, muttering curses under their breath. Oddly, it stung, but at the same time I didn't care. They seemed to have gotten the hang of it, and were pretty good at teamwork, but I was still worried that if I turned my back for a second, a water fight or something would occur—or maybe a riot.

Zetsu seemed to be having a little fun, though. He was opposite Hidan, continually dunking the sheet in all the way so that the water climbed further up his arm. He liked the water, it seemed. Looking up, I noticed Itachi watching out the window. He was leaning on it like he was half asleep, his tired eyes staring down at his teammates as they worked. Hidan and Deidara had a few good choice words to say to the Uchiha, but, as always, the man remained unmoved. Pein was having a late breakfast. I bloated my cheeks in amusement when I saw him looking at a spoon that Kisame must have used earlier.

Sasori and Deidara were soaping the sheets then giving them to Kakuzu and Kisame who would wash the soap off. None of the four were happy—Kisame a little more elated—but Deidara was furious. His hands kept coughing up soap suds, and he blamed it on me. Konan was at the end, hanging up the washing on the line, something that I was assisting in until then when I noticed the time.

It was seven thirty.

"Watch them, Uchiha!" I half-yelled to the black-head. He gave me a half salute as I disappeared inside and got ready for school. I feared what the house would be like when I got back, as well as how my excursion with Kakuzu will go.

* * *

"Goodness, Faye," Paprika sighed, inspected my hands. "They look like shrivelled prunes with scars."

I snorted in amusement. "Thanks, Pappy."

Since I had helped out in demonstrating how to hand wash the sheets, my skin on my hands decided to look like they had withered and died. It was very unappealing, especially since the marks from my paper cuts and Deidara-bite was now glowing red against my white skin. It didn't help that as soon as I was leaving through the front door of my house, Hidan had decided to storm through it and ditch a soap brush at me so that I had a wet and soapy patch on my back. I feared even more for what was awaiting me back home.

Charlie frowned at me. "Faye, that's not right."

"What do you mean?" I asked as the three of us headed to our spot for recess, where the two males of our group were already wrestling like a couple of boys.

"You would have told us that your 'rents were leaving on a holiday and we would have planned for a girl's night," she complained, adding, "Duh!" as an afterthought.

I froze, partially confused as well. Yeah, I would have jumped at the chance to have them over, but now... the idea slipped my mind, for obvious reasons I believe. But even if the Akatsuki were there, I still would have told them if my parents were leaving, because, well, I told them almost everything – almost.

"Uh... can we – can we have it at your house or something?" I suggested instead.

Pappy narrowed her auburn eyes at me but Charlie didn't seem to notice before she whipped out a response. "Blah, Fifi! The entire point of this is that your parent's are gone and we can have it at your house! We can always have it at mine and Pap's!"

Oh yeah. Shoot.

Charlie groaned and slapped the back of my head. "How _did_ you survive Maths this morning?"

Gingerly rubbing the spot, I mumbled a slurry, "Dunno." My stomach grumbled and I realised, belatedly, that I hadn't packed any food for today whatsoever; I hadn't for the previous days either, now that I come to think of it.

Pappy motherly stroked my stomach when she heard it growl, an expression of strange sorrow on her face like I had been neglecting my own organ. "Are you hungry?" she whispered – no, not to me.

Charlie was cooing behind her girlfriend, a grin on her face. Honestly, I'll never get used to Charlie acting like this.

"Did you forget your food again, Faye?" the red-head asked softly, matching my eyes. It felt like she was looking straight through me.

Clucking my tongue, I shifted on the ball of my foot as I whined a, "Yeah..."

"Yo, girlies!" Callum yelled in the background. "Stop your gossiping and join us!"

"You're just jealous you can't join in!" Charlie screamed back, and from there, the usual argument erupted between the two C's and the female was stalking towards him already, preparing for a grappling match of some sort.

Paprika slipped her hand into mine – she was half a head shorter than me. "Don't worry. You can have some of mine. I packed too much."

* * *

I'd had always done silly things with friends, some of which I regret, most of which I didn't, but sneaking solo towards my house like I was a thief about to break in was just plain weird. I took tiny steps as I hid behind a length of picket fence, and once at the corner, I peered around it and checked out the exterior of my home.

It looked neat, and when I craned my head to see the washing line visible from where I was crouched, the sheets were still there, white and drying in the cool wind.

I swallowed thickly, hunched to my hands and knees, and crawled up to the side of my house, hiding behind the hibernating bush on the edge below the window of the hallway inside. My bag felt heavier bending over, so I felt like I was being crushed by a light-weight rock.

"Damn school," I muttered, peering in through the window. "Damn homework." At the sight of Hidan leaving the spare bedroom, I bit my lip and ducked down, praying he hadn't seen me. My bag pressed against the wall so that I was looking out over the dying front lawn, I muttered, "Damn Akatsuki," once before turning the corner.

The backyard was vacant; three tubs rested up against the side of the house to dry, the peg basket next to the washing line, the soap brushes in a pile at the back door. It was oddly scary looking so peaceful.

I painted myself against the wall next to the first tub, spreading my arms out and flaying my hands against the bricks, but my bag made me stick out from the wall so that I looked like a spider. It was stupid trying to sneak around.

The sound of the back door sliding open made me freeze entirely, and I saw Kisame walk out with a full bucket of water. He tossed it into a flowerbed nearby—aww, thank you for feeding the flowers—before he turned. I swore he should have seen me there, pressed up right against the light colour of the walls, but if he did he didn't even say anything as he re-entered the house with the pail swinging by his thigh.

I exhaled, feeling my limbs shake from keeping them up for so long.

"You know, you can come inside now."

I screamed, shooting from the side of the house and hiding behind the rows of sheets. There, I tried to catch my breath, while also trying to stop my body from shuddering.

Who the heck said that?

Peeking out a little from the side of the sheets, I saw Sasori staring at me with his usual poker face. He looked dead tired; his face was white and there were huge bags under his eyes that were bigger than the ones I had noticed this morning. Leaning over the side of the open window, he resembled the dolls he cherished, but also like he was about to fall asleep right then.

Almost sluggishly, he pointed a finger to the back door and I meekly nodded before racing to it, trying not to blush at how girly I had screamed.

Entering the kitchen, I hadn't even managed to get my bag off my shoulders before I was pushed up against the wall and forced to stare into infuriated pink eyes, backed by the wrinkled angry brow of an ex-immortal. The heel of his hand ground my shoulder into the wall behind me, and a glimmer of joy crossed his face when I whimpered in pain.

"Fucking bitch," he muttered, leaning closer. His nose touched mine, and no matter how intimidated and freaked I was, I couldn't look away from his eyes. I trembled as he towered. "I'm not a fucking housewife!"

His last syllable had barely left his lips before he was slung away and crashed into the cupboards, cursing in pain. I gasped for a breath, keeling over and letting my bag hit the floor like a rock.

"But you would look so pretty in an apron," Kakuzu's deep voice rumbled near me.

"Fuck you, Kakuzu! I'm tired of this shit!"

"You and I, both," was the simple reply.

Kakuzu and Hidan burst into some sort of wrestling match right in front of me. And, well, let's face it, I'm a girl, so of course I'd go red at the sight of Hidan's exposed muscles expanding to push against Kakuzu's, whose own biceps would grow bigger in response. It was like a dream – or a nightmare.

Kisame strolled in casually without a second glance at the two wrestling zombie brothers, had a drink of water, turned to me, and said, "Yo."

My mouth opened and closed like a blubber fish. Kakuzu had managed to shift the fight towards the corner, and Hidan's curses had somehow become a little quieter.

"H-Hi?" I said uncertainly.

"Finally decided to come in, did ya?" he said.

"You saw me?"

He stared at me with his freaky white eyes as if I was an idiot – and I felt like one too. Of course he would have noticed me.

Baring his sharp teeth at me, he chuckled to himself and gestured for me to approach him. "All of us knew you were coming as soon as you reached the lot."

I was unsure about why he'd want me that close to him, but as Hidan had managed to gain the upper hand and switched the position of the arm wrestling to where I was standing, I zoomed over to the giant fish and got there in time for his blue hand to nestle on my head. I 'meeped' in surprise, peering up at the tall man – he was like two heads taller than me.

And then, being that close to his body – which was as hard as a bloody tree trunk – I knew why Konan had been pressing on the purchasing of clothes. Barely a week in their ninja outfit and already the stench of sweat, blood and dirt was soaked into the cloth. I grimaced, but he didn't seem to notice.

"We had to lock a few of the members away when we saw you," Kisame explained gruffly in my ear. The touch of his breath made me shiver – and not in a good way. He was way too close for comfort. "A few of them wanted to teach you a lesson."

I tried to look up at him but as I did I was instead met with his blue fingers shading over my eyes. "Huh?"

"Deidara and Hidan were not happy about having been made to do the cleaning, so we had to lock them in your room."

About all I caught of that was the part about them being locked in my room. To this, I was unhappy, and I hoped that when I went to my hovel I wouldn't have all my stuff strewn everywhere,

"Hidan escaped," Kisame said, chuckling. "Clearly."

"Yeah..." I mumbled.

"Kakuzu, you—!"

Hidan's curse was drowned by a yelp of surprise as the older zombie member managed to grab his ear and yank on it hard. The silver-head growled venomously, his head at an odd angle as Kakuzu pulled harder without relenting, his free hand somehow managing to keep Hidan's away.

The immortal suddenly kicked at Kakuzu's legs but the latter twisted Hidan's ear and he yowled, trying to pull away.

"Fucking let go!"

Seeing them fight like this was both amusing but incredibly scary. I hadn't actually seen them fight yet – if you could call this fighting – so witnessing Kakuzu doing a painful ear turn just made me cringe, and I turned away, wishing I hadn't left my bag over there.

As soon as the two partners collapsed to the floor in another match, I glanced at Kisame and said, "I'm going to my room."

"Deidara..." he almost sang.

Oh yeah. I had taken one step before I stopped, Kisame's hand still perched on my head.

"Hidan," Pein said, and the grappling fell away instantly, the silver-head scowling deeply to himself before storming out of the kitchen and somewhere else in the house. I heard a door slam, but that was about it. "Kakuzu, you should leave with Faye now."

And thus the dreaded excursion began.

* * *

Felt a little better now that I was dressed in casual, but the punch I received from Deidara as soon as I opened my door left a sore memory that he (and Hidan) were angry with me. He had gotten a scolding afterwards, but he was happy with the fact that my shoulder felt like it had fallen off. To make things worse, it was just plain weird driving (I did have my P's) to the shops with Kakuzu sitting next to me.

He was very interested in the contraption, and was watching me with those green eyes of his very closely. I was beginning to get little self-conscious with his heavy gaze, while before I had been a little glad that something of this world was impressing him. Until he found out how much the car cost. Then I swore he was plotting to sell it.

And then after that, I swerved a little after seeing a cat shoot across the road. He didn't trust cars after then either. I'm just glad it wasn't a black cat.

I was right that he'd get some stares, but it wasn't all bad after we had parked and walked towards the centre. Not many people looked, but a few did say hello and asked how I was. When I said that my 'friend' was sick, they wished him good health and continued on. Kakuzu was a little perplexed by the friendly community, and I wondered what his thoughts would be when he saw the stores.

He admitted, as he gazed around the centre, that there was nothing like this in any town back home; they were markets instead. When I asked him if he was impressed by it, he just mumbled something about it being a large waste of money before he headed towards Coles because of their slogan out the front that mentioned something about lowest prices.

I sighed. Typical.

Shopping with him wasn't as bad as I thought it would be to be honest. He was very efficient, and I had a feeling he would have been much quicker had he not been taking a look at every single foreign thing we passed to decide what to buy. Often he put the cheapest things he could find into the trolley that I had brought along from behind him – because he just waltzed in – but once or twice he asked me what the difference was between two similar looking and priced foods.

I was personally disgusted when he dumped in a chunk of canned food, because I wasn't a fan of it, and so I told him so. The glare I receive made me go silent instantly, while also scaring the shit out a guy who just happened to be standing behind me and looking in my direction at the wrong time.

It was sort of interesting, to be honest. Watching him in Dad's brown jacket, pulling out items, thinking about it, then putting it back... was somehow fun. Oh God. It's the end of the world. Anyway, he dropped a bit of trivia every now and then too.

Itachi had a sweet tooth, but because he was a cheap-ass, Kakuzu skipped out on the sweet section and moved on to the next. Hidan was glucose intolerant, and we had to buy the cheapest glucose-free milk we could find. I honestly never would have picked that of the silver-haired immortal but, well... blackmail. Zetsu ate meat only. Period. Even raw. I suggested the butchers nearby for that.

That was about all the special dietary requirements of the Akatsuki – well, only for two of them, but still. Kakuzu had paused when it came to Sasori, though. The former-puppet had never eaten food in anyone's presence, so the brunette criminal had no idea if Sasori had any sorts of problems. I noted that he seemed to smile as he thought about finding out Sasori's weak spots, which sort of freaked me out. By the time we were done, the trolley was half-full. He was very thorough, often putting back items and calculating the prices mentally.

"This is it," he told me, and I looked at the trolley, then back at him, then back at the trolley.

I had half-expected it to be full, but...

"Okay," I said, and shrugged. Some things in there I did not like, either, but I was glad to note the bread and pasta. "Is – Is this beneath the budget?"

He nodded gruffly. "Lower than half."

My jaw dropped. "Isn't that a bit..." My sentence hung like clothes out to dry when I witnessed the millionth glare he gave me that day. "S'all good."

He paused for a moment, scanning over the stands and shelves around us. "Do you have any problems?" he asked.

I fought the want to roll my eyes. Why couldn't he have asked me that before we started? "Yeah, a few."

I reached in and surfed through the neatly packed trolley, pulling out one or two of things I would not eat because I hated it or was allergic to it.

"I don't eat canned food, it's disgusting. Fresh is the best way to go," I told him, setting it into the elbow and holding it against my side as I held up another item. "And I'm allergic to nuts."

"Allergic?" he asked slowly.

I nodded. "Yeah. Allergic. It depends on how much I have for how bad it can get, and – for that matter..." I searched through to find the peanut butter, "... that's why I don't have some spreads like this around the house."

Kakuzu stared at me and I dropped the cans and packets back into the trolley.

"I'm not lying!" I exclaimed. "It's one of the most common allergies if people are allergic to something."

"Then don't eat them," he firmly said, righting everything properly in the trolley.

"I don't plan to, I'm just saying. If you guys somehow, God forbid, learn how to cook a meal and it entails nuts... Oh nevermind." I gave up trying to explain my thoughts and so I turned and headed for the chips section, an aisle down.

I heard Kakuzu groaning loudly in frustration as he was forced to push the trolley along behind me. He stopped short at the entrance of the aisle, glared at me, and said, "No."

"Oh, come on," I hissed, not sparing him an exasperated look as I searched for a small packet.

"It's a waste of money and it will help you gain weight."

I scoffed. "Yeah, well, weight is the least of my problems, I think."

He growled, sounding incredibly close that I just knew that he was standing directly behind me – also because he was casting a shadow over me.

"It's just one packet," I whined, not turning, my fingers already gripping the edge of a salt & vinegar packet.

He pried my fingers off and said, "If I let you, I have to let the others."

"No, you don't. They don't even have to know," I tried to persuade. "Besides, I'll buy it with my own money."

"No. That money will all be used for us."

"What?" I whirled around, glaring at him and trying not to recede back like a frightened mouse because of his threatening visage. I cleared my throat. "It's only three dollars."

"Three bucks too much. Now, let's leave," he demanded, gripping my wrist so tightly that I winced and pulling me back to the trolley. I was a slave to his menacing glare to go through the check-out and pay for it without another complaint, but I was annoyed.

Even more annoyed when I met a certain someone.

"Yo, Faye!"

I slumped over the trolley bars and sighed so loudly that Kakuzu raised an eyebrow that I couldn't see. Muttering curses under my breath, I straightened and looked over my shoulder to see my ex, Luke, jogging towards me with a huge smile on his face. I nodded in acknowledgement at his friends waiting by a pot plant further back.

One of them was very feminine guy, and I used to have so much fun hanging out with him. He was more feminine than I was, and I knew that he wasn't afraid to flaunt his skills or looks because of it. He was just that confident with his body that I was jealous. His name was Darcy. And the three other blokes in the group were also very respecting towards him, which made me appreciate the friendship they all had even more.

It was just a shame that I didn't hang with them anymore.

"Hi, Luke," I stated monotonously.

He chuckled and hugged me in a loose embrace, one that I didn't return. My skin prickled.

Luke was two years older and a head taller than me. He had dyed straw-blond hair which was often spiked up so that he looked like a porcupine – at his worst; attractive if he bothered to do it properly. Today it seemed he didn't. He also had that buff body that I seemed to like so much.

"How are you going?" he asked.

I shrugged. "Not bad." And I glanced over my shoulder at Kakuzu who had his arms crossed and was standing on the other side of the trolley. Compared to Kakuzu, Luke was dwarfed.

What does that say about me? Moving on...

"That's okay, I suppose. Oh, hey—" he punched my arm in the same spot Deidara had hit me that morning, so I winced very largely, and Luke just had to notice. He stopped mid sentence and frowned at me. "Sorry, did I hurt you?"

I bit my lip. "A little."

He raised an eyebrow and a wicked smile met his lips. "Have you been playing rough with another guy, Faye?"

"No," I mumbled, shying away.

Luke chuckled. "Aww, who is he?" he teased, crouching a little so that he could stare at me in the eyes. I looked away but he grabbed my shoulders and ran a hand from my ear to the back of my neck. "Come on, you can tell me."

"There isn't anyone," I responded with attitude.

He didn't believe me. "Uh huh." And then he paused, his mirth slipping from his eyes and lips. "You're still angry with me aren't you?" I didn't say anything, but I felt tears pricking at my eyes anyway, giving me away. Luke sighed and pulled my into a tighter embrace. "I thought you were stronger than this, Faye."

"I am," I said, voice muffled.

"Then why are you crying?"

Realising where I was I wriggled myself out of his grasp and shook my head vehemently. "It's none of your business."

"Faye, you know I had no choice but to do what I did," Luke attempted to explain, but I had heard him say that so many times – and the exact same story from Darcy, Josh, Brian and Harry. I knew it was the truth, and I believed it, but it still hurt.

I nodded and sniffled as a tear left my eye. "I know."

He didn't look convinced but settled with a quick kiss on my forehead and a pat on my shoulder before waving goodbye to me, jogging back to his friends who looked a little worried. What sucked was that he didn't know what that kiss did me.

I pivoted sharply and ignored Kakuzu who had witnessed the entire thing all way to the car. I started packing things away in the boot when he said to me, "Sane enough to drive?"

My answer was a loud slam of the boot as I closed it.

* * *

_By the way, please give Luke a chance. I'm trying to convey him as a good guy still, even if he did hurt Faye for some unknown reason that we don't know yet. Please keep reading. :D_


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